A Sudanese judge today found Lubna Hussein, the journalist accused of indecency for wearing pants, guilty in a much-watched case that has spurred a groundswell of support from women inside Sudan and international media attention. In what was clearly an attempt to save face for the Sudanese government, the judge spared Lubna the 40 lashes typically meted out to people found guilty of violating Sudan’s decency laws, but fined her $200.
Bec Hamilton, who has followed the case closely and who was in Sudan when the case originally broke, reports that Lubna plans to refuse to pay. Such defiance will likely land Lubna in jail, but as the Associated Press reported, Lubna sees the alternate penalty as a chance to maintain international attention on the case. "I would spend a month in jail. It is a chance to explore the conditions in jail,” she said.
More about the case tomorrow, but for now, check out Nick Kristof’s blog post on the trial today and this excellent post from Bec, which provides an inside look at the back-story.