A 19-year-old Sudanese Christian woman has been sentenced to endure 20 painful lashes for the crime of "indecent dress" for wearing trousers on the way home from a church service.
Fardos al-Toum, who is one of 12 Christian women who were arrested on June 25 for wearing trousers and skirts while on their way home from a Baptist church function in Khartoum, was the first of the young women to be tried on July 6 on charges of indecent dress. Along with a 500-pound fine, which was paid for by rights activists, CNN reports that her lawyer says she has also been ordered to receive a torturous punishment of 20 lashes.
After they were arrested, the young women, who are thought to range in age from 17 to 23, were brought to the police station where two of them were freed — the other 10 were forced to strip out of their clothes. They remained detained for over 24 hours and were charged with indecent dress.
Muhamad Mustafa, the lawyer representing the accused women, filed an appeal of al-Toum's sentencing. Although the other young women were similarly dressed, they were spared from such a brutal sentencing. Four other women were fined, while four were cleared of charges. One is still awaiting a trial...
...According to the human rights group Amnesty International, al-Toum was almost given a second indecent dress charge because she showed up to her court hearing wearing a dress, which could've been the reason why lashes were levied on her and not the others...
Fardos al-Toum, who is one of 12 Christian women who were arrested on June 25 for wearing trousers and skirts while on their way home from a Baptist church function in Khartoum, was the first of the young women to be tried on July 6 on charges of indecent dress. Along with a 500-pound fine, which was paid for by rights activists, CNN reports that her lawyer says she has also been ordered to receive a torturous punishment of 20 lashes.
After they were arrested, the young women, who are thought to range in age from 17 to 23, were brought to the police station where two of them were freed — the other 10 were forced to strip out of their clothes. They remained detained for over 24 hours and were charged with indecent dress.
Muhamad Mustafa, the lawyer representing the accused women, filed an appeal of al-Toum's sentencing. Although the other young women were similarly dressed, they were spared from such a brutal sentencing. Four other women were fined, while four were cleared of charges. One is still awaiting a trial...
...According to the human rights group Amnesty International, al-Toum was almost given a second indecent dress charge because she showed up to her court hearing wearing a dress, which could've been the reason why lashes were levied on her and not the others...
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