Sudan’s Public Order Police in Khartoum have arrested 12 female students who are Christians on charges under article 152 of Sudanese penal code for allegedly wearing indecent clothes before being released on Saturday. The 12 girls were expected to appear before a court Sunday.
Several witnesses told Radio Tamazuj that that the police stopped the students as they left the Baptist church at Taiba Al Hamda north of Khartoum after a church celebration on Thursday.
They girls were reportedly taken to Al Sababi police post in Khartoum North before being released to appear before the court yesterday.
The majority of the arrested students were are 20 to 22 and that they hail from South Kordofan state, according to the eyewitnesses.
Meanwhile, some human rights organizations criticized article 152 of the Sudanese penal code. Speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday, prominent lawyer Nabil Adib complained that the article can be loosely interpreted and gives excessive powers to police to arrest anybody without committing any crime.
Adib stressed that the students detained are Christians and that that they did not wear indecent clothes. He described the move by the police as “discriminatory”.