Sudan court fines party sponsor, acquits women in trousers

The district court that acquitted 24 girls and women from the criminal charge of wearing indecent clothes at a party in southern Khartoum has fined the party’s sponsor.

The party took place in El Mamoura on Wednesday evening. The public order police appeared and caught 24 women wearing trousers. This is considered ‘indecent’ and punishable with lashes and a fine under Article 152 of the Criminal Code.

A court session took place yesterday, where the prosecution dropped their charges and did not discuss them further.

Meanwhile the party’s sponsor was charged under Article 79, for holding a public party while the permit she obtained indicated the occasion of a ‘family farewell party’.The sponsor was fined SDG 10,000 ($1,493), while the owner of the sound system at the party was fined SDG 5,000 ($747).

The party organiser defended that she had requested from the police administration a permit for a public party, and had not seen what was written in the permit paper she received.

The Public Order Act is criticised by women rights activists in Sudan and abroad, for Article 152, among others. It states: “Whoever does in a public place an indecent act or an act contrary to public morals, or wears an obscene outfit, or contrary to public morals, or causing an annoyance to public feelings shall be punished with flogging, which may not exceed forty lashes or with fine or with both.”