Justice for Noura: Death Sentence of Sudanese Teen Who Killed Her Husband for Raping Her, Overturned

An appeals court in Sudan has overturned the death sentence of a teenage-girl who killed her husband after he raped her. Noura Hussein, 19, was instead sentenced to five years in jail, her lawyer Abdelaha Mohamad said.

At 16, Hussein was pressured by her parents to marry her cousin, according to activists. Members of the #JusticeForNoura campaign said Hussein was forced to sign the marriage contract in 2014. She then fled to her aunt's house in eastern Sudan before the wedding ceremony was completed.

She was persuaded to come back home on the understanding that the marriage would never be completed. However, once she came back the ceremony was completed, but she wasn't required to live with her husband.

For the next two years she remained at her family home. When her husband Abdulrahman visited, she would tell him outright that she didn't want to be married to him.

However, family elders began to insist that Noura and her husband formalise the relationship and behave like a legally married couple. Under pressure, Noura agreed to move in with Abdulrahman in April 2017.

According to a first-hand account obtained by CNN, Noura says that she resisted her husband's sexual advances for the first week they lived together. She cried. She refused to eat. When Abdulrahman slept she attempted to leave the flat, but it was locked.

On the ninth day, Abdulrahman arrived at their flat with some relatives, who tore at her clothes and held her down while he raped her, according to the CNN report.

The following day Abdulrahman tried again. This time Noura reached for the knife she told her mother she would use to kill herself. Noura's account says that in the tussle her hand was cut and Abdulrahman bit her shoulder. She stabbed Abdulrahman but has no recollection of consciously choosing to do so.

Noura ran back to her family, confessing, "I killed my husband after he raped me," she told them, holding out the knife. Her father took her to the police to give Noura’s side of the story that Abdulrahman died when Noura tried to protect herself however she was charged with premeditated murder.

A court in Omdurman, Sudan's second largest city, later found Noura Hussein guilty of premeditated murder, and last month - when her husband's family refused the option of monetary compensation - it officially sentenced her to death by hanging.

Noura’s case was taken up by various human rights groups. Amnesty International, which elevated the "Justice For Noura" campaign, also saw international celebrities like Naomi Campbell and Emma Watson back the demand for scrapping Noura’s death sentence.

In a statement, Amnesty International called the decision "hugely welcome news" but said the five years in prison was a "disproportionate punishment". It urged the country to reform its laws on marriage and marital rape "so that victims are not the ones who are penalised".

There are many child marriages and forced marriages in Sudan. The law doesn't see that as illegal and neither does it consider marital rape so.

Noura’s jail term is effective from the time she was arrested.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2018 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).