On May 13th 2012, the criminal court of Ombada, Khartoum state, sentenced Intisar Sharif Abdalla to death by stoning on charges of adultery under article 146.1(a) of Sudan’s 1991 penal code dealing with “punishment for Zina”. During her trial, Intisar Sharif, who initially pleaded “not guilty”, was denied all minimum guarantees required in such a criminal case : she did not benefited from any legal representation ; nor from the assistance of an interpreter despite her limited knowledge of Arabic. It is also to be noticed that Intisar Sharif, who has reportedly been beaten by her brother, later “admitted” to the charges.
“This sentence, based on the unique testimony of a threatened woman and delivered after an obviously unfair trial, is inconsistent with Sudan’s regional and international human rights obligations” declared the undersigned organizations. “The overturn of this sentence and the immediate release of Intisar Sharif are the only conceivable options for Sudan” they added.
A legal team set up with the help of women’s rights organizations recently filed an appeal at Ombada’s Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, Intisar Sharif is being maintained at the Omdurman Women’s Prison of Khartoum with her four-month old baby. For our organizations, “the case of Intisar Sharif, whose co-accused has not been convicted, is symptomatic not only of the failures of the administration of justice in Sudan but also of the persisting and serious discrimination against women in this country”.
According to our organizations, “this sentence, pronounced in illegal conditions, raises the urgency of the establishment of a moratorium on executions in Sudan”. The Campaign “calls on the authorities not to proceed to the execution of Intisar Sharif and to adopt such a moratorium as a first step towards de jure abolition”.
Signatory organizations:
African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) – Gambia
African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) – Sudan
Al Khatim Adlan center for human development and Enlightenment (KACE)
Association africaine de défense des droits de l’Homme (ASADHO) – Democratic Republic of Congo
Association Capverdienne des Femmes Juristes (AMJ) – Cape Verde
Associação Justiça, Paz e Democracia (AJPD) – Angola
Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia – Liberia
Association malienne des droits de l’Homme (AMDH) – Mali
Association mauritanienne des droits de l’Homme (AMDH) – Mauritania
Cause Rurale – Democratic Republic of Congo
Centre des Femmes pour la Paix (CFP) – Burundi
Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) – Nigeria
Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre
DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights – Botswana
Dushirehamwe Network – Burundi
Female Lawyers Association of the Gambia – Gambia
Femmes debout pour défendre ses droits (FDPDD)
Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) – Uganda
Groupe Lotus (GL) – Democratic Republic of Congo
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) – South Africa
Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC) – Tanzania
Ligue des électeurs (LE) – Democratic Republic of Congo
Ligue ITEKA – Burundi
Ligue sénégalaise des droits humains (LSDH) – Senegal
Ligue tchadienne des droits de l’Homme (LTDH) – Chad
Ligue togolaise des droits de l’Homme (LTDH) – Togo
Mouvement burkinabé des droits de l’Homme et des peuples (MBDHP) – Burkina Faso
Mouvement pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme ADALCI Niamey – Niger .
No to Women Oppression Coalition
Observatoire congolais des droits de l’Homme (OCDH) – Republic of Congo
Organisation guinéenne des droits de l’Homme et du citoyen (OGDH) – Guinea Conakry
Organisation nationale des droits de l’Homme (ONDH) – Senegal
Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l’Homme (RADDHO) – Senegal
Strategic initiative for women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA)
The REDEMEC – Network of Women Economist – Cape Verde
The Women’s Peace Center – Burundi
Union interafricaine des droits de l’Homme (UIDH)
Women In Law and Development in Africa – Afrique de l’Ouest (WILDAF West Africa)
Women In Law and Development in Africa – Togo (WILDAF Togo)
Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights Development and Peace
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZIMRIGHTS) – Zimbabwe
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