U.S. Resident Could Face Death Penalty in Sudan

Courtesy Sudan Sunrise

I spoke with Nancy Williams Dawod, whose husband, Rudwan Dawod, could face the death penalty in Sudan. He's a permanent U.S. resident and in a Sudanese jail facing charges including involvement in a terrorist organization.

I met Rudwan a few years ago via the non-profit Sudan Sunrise. He's worked with the organization to build schools and churches in his home country. (An organization I have also supported.)

Nancy and Rudwan met in Africa, on the first day of her first trip to the continent. And I asked her to respond to the accusation that her husband is involved in a terror group.

Watch the interview here:

As I mentioned in the interview the Sudanese Embassy released a statement to ABC News. The embassy would not speak about Rudwan's case, but did comment on the protests in Sudan. Here is the full statement from Seif Yasin, the Press and Information Counselor at the Embassy:

"Concerning the sporadic protests witnessed in the country, it is important to note first that Sudan affirms and protects the right of the citizens to demonstrate as they wish, provided that the rules and regulations in place are observed, as they are principally meant to ensure public order and safety.

It is during this delicate process of facilitating self-expression and maintaining public order on which some opportunists capitalize to inspire violence and chaos or smear Sudan's image. Fair observers will note how easily things can get out of hand in such settings if the laws that regulate such an affair are not adhered to, be it in Sudan or the United States. The world has witnessed plenty of such disasters. Occupy wall Street protests are a case in point, where numerous arrests were made by the New York Police. While we cannot comment on any one specific case, if any arrests do occur in Sudan, the detained individuals will most certainly have a fair and just trial in court.

Moreover, these protests, though by no means comparable to the ones elsewhere in the world might very well reflect the genuine grievances of a few, relating to economy and job opportunities. And indeed the Government recognizes this and has been aggressively moving to tackle these same economic adversities that the entire world is today challenged with. But in this process, order must prevail, not chaos."