Tear gas fired at protesters outside Lubna Hussein trial

Sudanese riot police fired teargas to disperse protesters who gathered outside a Khartoum courthouse yesterday to support a woman journalist who faces up to 40 lashes for wearing trousers. Lubna Hussein, a widow in her thirties, has drawn attention to her case in an attempt to change a Sudanese law that allows women to be flogged for dressing in breach of the country's strict indecency laws. Since her arrest last month she has courted media coverage of her plight and sent out 500 invitations to her trial, which began last week. In response, about a hundred men and women, some wearing trousers in solidarity with Ms Hussein, began to gather on a main street in Khartoum near the court yesterday. "We are here to protest against this law that oppresses women and debases them," said Amal Habani, another journalist, who was also arrested last month for writing a column in support of Ms Hussein.