Meriam Ibrahim, a 27-year-old doctor, was convicted of apostasy (abandoning one's religious faith) and sentenced to death by a court in Sudan.
The court in the north-east African country gave her four days to repent her decision to marry a Christian and escape death, but the Court of Cassation cancelled the death sentence against Ms Ibrahim after defence lawyers presented their case.
Her lawyer, Mohanad Mustafa, remains concerned for her welfare in the volatile Muslim country. He said: "Her family had been threatened before and we are worried that someone might try to harm her." She was also sentenced to 100 lashes for committing "zena" – Arabic for illegitimate sex – for having a relationship with a non-Muslim. It is not yet known if that conviction too has been dropped.
Ms Ibrahim, who was pregnant when she was imprisoned, was forced to give birth to daughter Maya in chains in the hospital wing at Omdurman Federal Women’s Prison in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. Ms Ibrahim married her husband, a US citizen, in a formal church ceremony in 2011.
Muslim women in Sudan are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims, though Muslim men can marry outside their faith. A www.dailystar.co.uk extract.
Comments
Post a Comment