Young woman accused of adultery faces being stoned to death in Sudan

Maya Oppenheim
Updated ·2 min read
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A court in the city of Kosti, in Sudan’s White Nile state in the south of the country, found the young woman guilty of the alleged adultery in June (AFP/Getty)
A court in the city of Kosti, in Sudan’s White Nile state in the south of the country, found the young woman guilty of the alleged adultery in June (AFP/Getty)

A young woman faces being stoned to death over accusations she committed adultery in Sudan in a case which has fuelled anger among human rights campaigners.

The 20-year-old woman, who has not been named to protect her identity, moved to live with her family after she separated from her husband in 2020.

Her husband accused her of adultery a year after she separated from him, according to the BBC.

A court in the city of Kosti, which is in Sudan's White Nile state in the south of the country, found the young woman guilty of the alleged adultery in June 2022. While she has appealed conviction, the verdict is yet to have been announced.

A government official told the BBC: “We don't have a minister who can intervene to demand her release”.

Human rights organisations told the news outlet the woman was not informed of the allegations against her and was not provided with the option of legal representation when she was detained.

International Federation for Human Rights has launched a petition urging Kosti criminal court to withdraw the death sentence she has been subjected to.

The organisation noted “death penalty by stoning for the crime of adultery (zina) is a grave violation of international law”.

“Most cases of adultery in Sudan are issued against women, highlighting the discriminatory application of Sudan’s criminal legislation, in violation of international law which guarantees equality before the law and non-discrimination based on gender,” the International Federation for Human Rights said.

In December 2019, the Sudanese government repealed controversial laws which gave police the powers to arrest or flog women caught dancing or wearing trousers. A slew of public order laws which were used to control women’s conduct under the ex-president Omar al-Bashir were revoked.

Activities which were banned also included selling goods on the street, mixing with men who are not husbands or relatives, and leaving hair uncovered. Wrongdoers faced arrest, flogging, fines, and in rare instances execution and stoning.