A Sudanese opposition group says an emergency court in the capital, Khartoum, sentenced nine women to a month's imprisonment and 20 lashes each for taking part in anti-government protests.

The Democratic Lawyers Alliance says the court subsequently waived the flogging amid pressure from families of the women who were rallying outside the courthouse on Saturday.

The alliance is part of an umbrella organization spearheading three months of anti-government protests across Sudan.

The emergency courts were set up to investigate violations under the state of emergency that autocratic President Omar al-Bashir imposed late in February to quash protests demanding his ouster.

The nine women were arrested just hours earlier, on Saturday.

On Friday — the International Women's Day — al-Bashir had ordered that all women arrested in the protests be released.