A criminal court at Hai Al Nasr in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Wednesday opened the trial of 27 Sudanese Muslims charged with apostasy, according to their defense lawyer.
The defendants have reportedly declared their non-recognition of statements attributed to Prophet Muhammad, also known as Hadith, but they say they are still embracing Islam. They face charges under article 126 of Sudanese criminal law, a charge that could lead to death penalty if convicted.
Lawyer Ahmed Al Sibeir told Radio Tamazuj that the investigators told the court that police arrested five of the defendants inside a market when they were talking about their belief in the Quran and how they don’t recognize other Islamic texts.
The lawyer pointed out that the judge Abdullah Abdelbaqi heard the investigators’ case against the men on Wednesday before adjourning the sitting until next Tuesday.
He said three defendants are under eighteen years old so should not be tried. Al Sibeir downplayed the charges leveled against his clients.
He indicated that the accused have convincing arguments within the Quran to defend themselves.
The Sunni sect believes in the verbally transmitted record of the teachings, deeds and sayings, and silent permissions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as various reports about Muhammad’s companions.