Activists in last-ditch effort to save 19-year-old condemned to death for stabbing the man she was forced to marry as he assaulted her
A social media campaign has been launched in support of Noura Hussein, who says she was shocked to receive the death sentence for killing her husband as he tried to rape her. Photograph: Amr Nabil/AP
Noura Hussein, a 19-year-old Sudanese woman, has been sentenced to death for stabbing her husband, who she was forcibly married to. Within a week of being sent to live with the man, Hussein was held down by his relatives while he raped her.
When her husband tried to rape her again the next day, she stabbed him and he died from his injuries. Hussein’s legal team has 15 days to appeal the decision.
According to her supporters – including the activist group Equality Now, which is backing a petition organised on her behalf – Hussein had been with her husband for six days when he raped her with the assistance of his brother, a relative, and a witness, who held her down.
“She would not have sex with the man,” Sarah ElHasan, an activist supporting Hussein’s case, told al-Jazeera. “He recruited some of his cousins and brought them [to his] home where they held her down while her husband raped her.”
#JusticeForNoura
When he attempted to rape her again the following day, she stabbed her husband to death before going to her own parents, who handed her over to police.
Muawya Khidir, a member of Hussein’s defence team, told local media that the death penalty was not appropriate since Hussein was defending herself at the time of the killing and was mentally and psychologically disturbed as a result of rape.
One supporter, who attended the hearing, posted details on Twitter: “They allowed us to enter the courtroom and I got to sit in the front with a colleague of mine. We waited at least 20 minutes until the judge came and [asked] Noura to enter. Noura was alone [and] no one from her family came with her.
Noura Hussein life-long wish was to become a teacher but she ended up being forced to marry an abusive man who raped and brutalized her. Now she has been slapped with a death sentence.
“There was a good amount of supporters that were on her side. They reintroduced the case and so the judge eventually asked the rapist’s family what they want to happen. The judge also did mention that they should forgive her. But the family chose execution.
The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and to apply it to a rape victim only highlights the failure of the Sudanese authorities to acknowledge the violence she endured.
“When I left the court house the rapist’s family were clapping with joy and had smug looks on their faces – I was disgusted.”
Following confirmation of the sentence on Thursday, Equality Now, which has taken up Noura’s case, said it would be writing to the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, to ask for clemency
#JusticeForNoura
sign the petition here.. https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-noura-maritalrape-deathsentence-sudan
PART OF DISCUSSION from feminist current
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Hekate Jayne • a day ago Nine hours ago, Noura’s petition had 66k signatures.
At this time, it has over 110k.
I know an online petition won’t save her. But if enough people give a shit, it might.I hope that this is good news.
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Candice Smith • a day ago I’m glad there’s an article on open office environments, otherwise known as “Share Space”
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FierceMild • a day ago Wait, can’t she just claim the stabbing was consensual? Oh yeah, that doesn’t work for women being raped that only works for men who rape and then kill.
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Hekate Jayne FierceMild • a day ago The signatures are over 146k.
This is just almost fucking unbearable to know. I am going a little crazy trying to figure out if I can do something for her.
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FierceMild Hekate Jayne • 21 hours ago I never can bring myself to believe men will go through with things like this…until they do. Even writing that I still think she’ll be freed instead of killed.
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It has been this way for centuries. It is the core of how males keep supremacy. It isn’t smart, logical, or well reasoned. But it works because it is so fucking violent. And we are convinced that we can’t stop it.
lk • 2 days ago In another article about Noura, it says: “The Sharia (Islamic religious law) court convicted Ms Hussein of premeditated murder last month and on Thursday officially sentenced her to death by hanging, according to Reuters news agency.”
In what universe does this constitute “premeditated murder”?
DISCUSSION continues here on feminist current
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