Hawa Omar Osman Saleh, the mother of a young woman gang-raped by three men in Sennar, Sudan, is set to appear before Sennar Criminal Court on November 10. She faces new charges brought by Judge Ismail Awad Rahma, who initially presided over her daughter's rape case. The charges, under Sudan's 1991 Criminal Act, relate to influencing the course of justice and insulting a public official. Each charge carries a penalty of up to three months' imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The new case stems from a video Saleh posted on social media criticizing the initial verdict in her daughter's rape case. In December 2025, three men were sentenced to three years in prison, with the second defendant ordered to receive 100 lashes. Saleh's criticism sparked outrage, leading Judge Rahma to file a complaint against her. Her former lawyer, Farah Mubarak, also brought a separate case against her, resulting in a six-month prison sentence and a SDG5 billion fine.
Saleh is currently serving the six-month sentence in a separate case following her public criticism of the handling of her daughter's rape case. She also faces an outstanding fine of SDG5 billion, which her family says she cannot afford. An appeals court upheld the sentence on August 27, 2026. The family has questioned the conduct of the proceedings, alleging that Judge Rahma acted as both complainant and witness in the case against Saleh.
A relative of the family told Radio Dabanga that they had submitted a petition for clemency about six weeks ago, seeking to have the SDG5 billion fine waived due to Saleh's financial and family circumstances. However, the family has yet to receive a response and has instead received notification of the new hearing. The relative also disputed allegations that Saleh's lawyer had encouraged her to record the video.
The family has appealed for solidarity with Saleh, describing the new prosecution as a further injustice against a woman who spoke out after her daughter was raped. The case has sparked concerns about the treatment of victims of sexual violence and their families in Sudan. Saleh's daughter was gang-raped by three men, and the case has been widely reported.
In a subsequent development, Sennar Court of Appeal judge Abdullah Omar sentenced all three defendants to life imprisonment on September 15, 2026, for the gang rape under Article 149 of Sudan's 1991 Criminal Act. The ruling followed an earlier decision on August 29, when the judge initially announced that he would not comply with the Supreme Court's directive to prosecute the defendants under the rape provision.
The life sentences replaced the original punishments imposed by the first-instance court. A source inside the proceedings told Radio Dabanga that the judge later reversed his position after reviewing the case file, saying he had not examined it properly before his earlier decision. The case highlights the challenges faced by victims of sexual violence in Sudan and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.
Key points
- The mother of a rape victim faces new prosecution in Sudan for criticizing the handling of her daughter's case.
- The new charges carry a penalty of up to three months' imprisonment, a fine, or both.
- The three defendants in the rape case were sentenced to life imprisonment on September 15, 2026.
