Sudan woman jailed for refusing to pay trouser fine: lawyer

Sudanese woman journalist Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein was sent to jail today after refusing to pay a USD 200 fine imposed for wearing trousers deemed "indecent," one of her lawyers said.

"She has been taken to the women's prison in Omdurman," the twin city of Khartoum, Kamal Omar told AFP. Earlier today, a Khartoum court spared Hussein, who has vowed to appeal against any conviction, a whipping for wearing "indecent" trousers but instead fined her USD 200.

"I won't pay. I'd rather go to prison," Hussein told AFP by telephone before she was taken to jail, though her lawyers said they would try to persuade her to pay up. Speaking as they emerged from the court hearing which was barred to the press, witnesses said the court had ruled that Hussein be jailed for a month if she failed to pay the fine.

Under Sudanese law, she could have been sentenced to a maximum of 40 lashes for "indecency" under Islamic principles after being arrested with 12 other women wearing trousers in a Khartoum restaurant in July.

Women in trousers are not a rare sight in Sudan but the authorities can take offence at trousers which reveal too much of a woman's shape, leading to accusations from rights groups that judgement is arbitrary.

Ten of the women arrested in July on the indecent dress charge, including Christians, were subsequently summoned by the police and each given 10 lashes.