Lubna Hussein's trial for the "crime" of wearing trousers went ahead in Khartoum yesterday morning. It was her third official court appearance -- on previous occasions the court delayed its decision in the hope that the international media attention on Lubna, the "Sudan trouser lady," would fade. The court's verdict was eminently predictable.
Trying to save face, the court played it both ways. The judge decided Lubna was guilty under Article 152 of Sudan's so-called indecency laws -- a nod to the government, which maintains that the law is just and that Lubna simply fell afoul of it. But the court decided to fine her 500 Sudanese pounds (about $200) rather than flog her -- a nod to the sensitivities of the global media watching from outside the courtroom, where Lubna's domestic supporters were once again protesting.
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