By: Joy Odor/Kaduna,North-West, Nigerian
The Deputy Regional Director East Africa, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes Region of Amnesty International, Mr. Seif Magango has confirmed that an Appeals Court in Sudan has overturned the death sentence of Noura Hussein’s, 19 years old who killed her husband after he allegedly raped her.
Mr. Seif Magango narrated that Noura’s life was turned completely upside down when her own father took her to the police a year ago when Noura’s husband suffered fatal knife wounds during a fight in which was instead sentenced to five years in jail.
Last month, an Islamic court had sentenced her to death by hanging, following her conviction for the premeditated murder of her husband, Abdulrahman Mohamed Hammad.
Ms Hussein said her husband had recruited some of his own cousins who allegedly held her down as he raped her.
When he allegedly attempted to do the same the following day she lashed out at him with a knife and stabbed him to death, was arrested and later sentenced to death.
He pointed out that immediately after her sentence made public, Amnesty member got together to campaign against the court’s decision, saying in just two months, 400,000 Amnesty supporters signed a petition.
The Deputy Regional Director informed that while in prison, Noura passed her school exams and can now pursue her dream to become a lawyer.
“We helped save Noura’s life.
“Initially, we broke the inbox of the Sudanese Ministry of Justice with a flood of messages. But that didn’t stop us. We continued pressuring Sudan to repeal Noura’s sentence and in the end, we did it.
“A Sudanese court has just overturned Noura’s death sentence. Without your petitions, this may never have been possible. We made all the difference.
“Help us grow an even stronger movement for change, so we can make even more difference for those that need it most.
Let us make sure that Noura is the last victim to go through this ordeal” Mr. Magango lamented.
Mr. Seif Magango was of the opinion that the fact remains that Noura was victim of a brutal attack by her husband and hoped that the Sudanese authorities will take this opportunity to start reforming their laws around child marriage, forced marriage and marital rape.
