Forced to marry at 16, Noura Hussein killed her husband who was trying to rape her, the defense said. Her sentence was commuted to five years in prison.
A court of appeal has annulled, Tuesday, June 26, the death sentence against a young Sudanese woman who was convicted of killing her husband whom she accuses of having raped her, her lawyer said. In May, a Sudanese court sentenced Noura Hussein, who was convicted of “intentional killing”, to the death of her father who forced her to marry at the age of 16 and who she said had raped her .
The death sentence of the 19-year-old woman sparked international outrage, including from the UN and human rights groups. Her lawyer, Al-Fateh Hussein, appealed this decision.
Activists launched a campaign called “Justice for Noura” after her death sentence. According to Amnesty International, Noura Hussein was forcibly married at the age of 16. When she refused to consummate the marriage in May 2017, her husband called two of her brothers and a cousin to help him rape her. When he tried to rape her a second time, she stabbed him to death, according to the NGO.
In Sudan, the law allows for the marriage of children over 10 years of age. The UN has urged Sudan to amend its laws to criminalize domestic violence and marital rape.