Good news from the Urgent Action Network

SUDANESE MOTHER WALKS FREE

SUDAN

Intisar Sharif Abdallah (f)

Intisar Sharif Abdallah was released on 3 July after the Ombada court, in Omdurman,a suburb of the capital Khartoum, dropped all charges against her due to a lack of evidence. The court had re-tried her after the court of appeal of Omdurman had overturned her sentence of death by stoning.

In the initial trial, the Ombada court had convicted Intisar Sharif Abdallah of adultery on 13 May and sentenced her the same day to death by stoning. The judgement was based solely on Intisar Sharif Abdallah’s testimony, which she gave under duress after having been beaten by her brother. In the initial trial, Intisar Sharif Abdallah had been denied legal representation.

After the 13 May sentence, lawyers representing Intisar Sharif Abdallah filed appeals to the appeal court of Omdurman. The appeal court on 20 June overturned the 13 May verdict and sentence, citing the Ombada court’s violation of Intisar Sharif Abdallah’s constitutional right to legal defence. The court of Omdurman ordered that the case should be returned to the Ombada court for a re-trial.

At the 2 July re-trial at the Ombada court, the lawyers of Intisar Sharif Abdallah stated that she had retracted her testimony and was denying the charges. The following day the Ombada court dropped the case for lack of sufficient evidence, citing article 141 of the 1991 Criminal Procedure Act. Intisar Sharif Abdallah was released later on 3 July. She no longer faces charges.

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