World Pulse

You first heard the story of Lubna Hussein’s struggle from PulseWire correspondent and citizen journalist, Halima Mohamed Abdel Rahman. Now you can sign a petition and take action to support Lubna, Halima, and the Sudanese women who are demanding their rights.

Lubna Hussein recently became a symbol for the struggle for human rights in Sudan. Arrested for “obscene and indecent acts” for wearing pants in public, Lubna faced a fine and up to 40 lashes by the Sudanese government.

Lubna has used her position as a journalist to challenge these kinds of unjust laws and punishments and used her arrest as a platform to advocate for change. She went to court and was ultimately convicted and issued a fine of approximately $200. She refused, out of principle, to pay the fine and was subsequently imprisoned.

On September 8th, Lubna was freed from jail, apparently due to an organization that intervened and paid the fine on her behalf. Unfortunately, the laws which allowed the arrest and intimidation of Lubna and other women remain on the books. Lubna Hussein was brave to stand up to this law which has been used to justify arbitrary arrests and inhumane floggings of women. Hopefully, continued international pressure on the government of Sudan will change the legal climate in favor of protecting human rights.

To add your voice to those calling for change, you can use the Amnesty International website to send a letter to Sudan's Minister of Justice.