Woman waives immunity for public 'trouser trial'

A Sudanese woman arrested for wearing trousers and facing a public flogging as punishment, was applauded by democracy activists yesterday after she took a defiant stand against Sudan's rulers and the repressive version of Islam she accuses them of enforcing.

Lubna Hussein, a local employee of the UN's peacekeeping mission, was offered immunity from prosecution as a judge opened proceedings against her for "offences against the public taste".

But in a dramatic step she announced to the court that she was sacrificing her UN job and the immunity that goes with it, so that her case would go to a full trial.

"I wish to resign from the UN, I wish this court case to continue," she told a courtroom packed with supporters, women's rights activists, human rights workers and a handful of Western diplomats.

She had previously turned down the offer of a pardon from Sudanese President Omar al Bashir. The case will now resume on August 4.

"First of all she wants to show she is totally innocent, and using her immunity will not prove that," her lawyer Nabil Adib Abdalla said after the hearing.

"Second, she wants to fight the law. The law needs to be reformed".

Hussein is a former journalist who has condemned the lack of political and social freedoms under Bashir's regime.

She appeared in court wearing the same green trousers that provoked her arrest.

There were chaotic scenes and scuffles outside the court in Khartoum as police tried to limit access and some reporters were briefly detained. Dozens of women wearing jeans or trousers carried placards that read: "Lashing people is against human rights."

Last night a Sudanese women's rights activist suggested that the "trouser trial" may have been politically motivated and a pretext for Hussein's political enemies within the Islamic regime.

"This was not just about what she wore, it's because she is so outspoken," said Nawal Hassan, who promotes women's involvement in the Darfur peace process.

"There is little freedom of expression here but Lubna talks openly about the general political situation in the country and this is how they try to control her."

COVERING UP: ISLAMIC DRESS CODE

Iran: Women are obliged to cover their hair and wear loose clothes in public. Skirts are discouraged and knee-length coats over trousers are the usual option. Those flouting the rules risk lashes and even imprisonment.

Sudan: Women in the Muslim north of Sudan are subject to a dress code which requires head and body covering and frowns on trousers in public. Most women wear a full-length shawl in bright colours draped over their clothes and covering the head.

Saudi Arabia: Most women wear an all-enveloping black cloak called an abaya, a hijab or scarf and a face covering or niqab. However more women are ditching black for colours.

Pakistan: Although the law does not require Islamic dress code, there is social pressure. In tribal or Taleban-controlled areas strict rules are applied.

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