Sudan man's foot, hand 'amputated' by court order

KHARTOUM (AFP) - Government doctors in Sudan amputated a man's hand and foot to carry out a sentence for robbery, rights groups said on Wednesday, describing the extremely rare punishment as a form of torture.

The amputation of Adam al-Muthna's right hand and left foot took place by court order at the interior ministry's Al-Rebat hospital in Khartoum on Feb 14, the rights groups said, citing "reliable sources."

Muthna, 30, was convicted of armed robbery related to an attack on a truck carrying passengers, said a statement issued by New York-based Human Rights Watch, also on behalf of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, London-based Redress and US-based Physicians for Human Rights.

"Cross amputation is a form of state-sponsored torture," said Vincent Iacopino, senior medical adviser at Physicians for Human Rights.