Sudan Backtracks on Pledge to Free Woman Sentenced to Death for Apostasy

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The foreign office said on Saturday that Meriam Ibrahim would be freed within days but has now said that only Sudan's courts can decide


Sudan’s foreign ministry on Sunday repudiated a pladge the government would order the release of Meriam Ibrahim, the mother sentenced to death for apostasy, warning only the country’s courts could order her freedom.

Western nations including Britain have expressed outrage that Ms Ibrahim, who gave birth to her daughter Maya in prison last week, had been convicted of changing her faith from Islam to Christianity.

Sudanese officials suggested late on Saturday that the 27-year-old was to be released and her death sentence annulled.

But Abu Bakr al-Sideeg, spokesman for the foreign ministry in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, said on Sunday that only the courts had such powers and foreign ministry officials would have no power over Ms Ibrahim’s case.

“[I am] not aware that any release is imminent”, he added. » | Mike Pflanz, Nairobi | Sunday, June 01, 2014

Sudanese Woman Meriam Ibrahim Sentenced to Death for Apostasy 'To Be Freed'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy, is to be freed in a few days, a senior Sudanese official has said. But her lawyers say they will not believe it until they see her walk out of prison

Sudan appeared to be bowing to international pressure on Saturday night to free a woman sentenced to death for apostasy. A foreign ministry spokesman said that Meriam Ibrahim would be released and not face further charges.

But lawyers for 27-year-old Ms Ibrahim expressed scepticism that she would be freed so quickly.

“It’s a statement to silence the international media,” said Elshareef Ali Mohammed. “This is what the government does. We will not believe that she is being freed until she walks out of the prison."

He said he had even heard reports that the spokesman was in the UK on medical leave when he told the BBC she would soon be freed.

“If they were to release her, the announcement would come from the appeal court, and not from the ministry of foreign affairs. But at least it shows our campaign to free Meriam is rattling them. We must keep up the pressure.” » | Harriet Alexander | Saturday, May 31, 2014

Related »

World Leaders Back Campaign to Drop Sudanese Woman's Death Sentence

Daniel Wani married his wife Meriam in 2011 but the court
ruled the union invalid and found Ibrahim guilty of adultery.

THE GUARDIAN: British PM David Cameron and US activist Jesse Jackson speak out against death row detention of Meriam Ibrahim

World leaders have added their voices to the campaign to lift the death sentence given to Meriam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman sentenced to hang for apostasy. They join her husband, Daniel Wani, in calling for the sentence to be dropped.

The British prime minister, David Cameron, and the US civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson were among those to speak out after Wani appealed for international support to free his wife from death row, where she is being held with her two young children after giving birth in shackles this week.

Cameron said he was "absolutely appalled" when he heard of the decision. "The way she is being treated is barbaric and has no place in today's world. Religious freedom is an absolute, fundamental human right."

His words were echoed by the Labour and Lib Dem leaders, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, and the former prime minister Tony Blair described the sentence as a "brutal and sickening distortion of faith". » | Harriet Sgerwood | Saturday, May 31, 2014