19-year-old Fardos has been sentenced to 20 lashes and a large fine for being ‘indecently dressed’. She is one of a group of Christian students facing flogging after they were arrested outside their church by Sudanese police last month. The women were all wearing skirts and trousers.

Eight young women still face court hearings over their appearance. Ask officials in Sudan not to flog Fardos and to drop all charges against the women.

Fardos Al-Toum (pictured above) appeared in court last month on charges of ‘indecent dress’, after she was arrested along with 11 others outside a church in Khartoum North.

All 12 women were accused of violating Article 152 of Sudan’s 1991 Criminal Act, which forbids ‘indecent or immoral dress’ and carries a punishment of up to 40 lashes and a fine.

Two of the women were released without charge, but the other ten were charged for their clothing.

Ask officials in Sudan to drop the charges now

Fardos’ hearing was first out of the group. The judge found her guilty – and while in the courtroom decided to defy all proper legal proceedings by bringing the same charge against her again, deeming the dress Fardos wore to court to be ‘indecent’.

She has been sentenced to 20 lashes for the ‘crime’ of being indecently dressed outside the church, alongside a large fine for her appearance in court. Fardos’ lawyers are appealing both sentences.

A date has not yet been set for Fardos’ lashes.

Call on Sudan’s officials to drop the sentence and ‘indecent dress’ charges against Fardos
Sudan’s morality laws are more often than not used against women, based on whether the ‘morality police’ believe their appearance or behaviour to be ‘immoral’ or not. In reality, it’s used to discriminate and repress women’s rights.

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