EXECUTION OF WOMAN BY STONING IN SUDAN

Early day motion 794, tabled 4 February 2002 by Hilton Dawson (Labour). Signed by 106 members.

That this House deplores the sentencing of the Sudanese woman Abok Alfa Akok to death by stoning in Darfur, Sudan for alleged adultery; recognises that this woman has been subjected to trial by Shari'a law despite the fact that she is a Christian; is alarmed that no lawyer or translator was apparently provided during the trial despite the fact that the woman does not speak Arabic; acknowledges the continuation of human rights abuses in Sudan, including torture, amputations and detention without trial; is aware of the importance of tolerance for religious minorities in relation to the aim of achieving a negotiated end to 18 years of civil war in Sudan; calls upon the Government of Sudan to overturn the sentence imposed against Abok Alfa Akok, to end the practice of trying non-Muslims under Shari'a law and to respect international standards of human rights, and urges Her Majesty's Government to place human rights at the very centre of its ongoing dialogue with the Sudanese government.

Signatures by party: Labour 68, Liberal Democrat 19, Conservative 5, Labour/Co-operative 5, Scottish National Party 3, UUP 3, DUP 2, Plaid Cymru 1.