Photo credit: Global Justice Center in Sudan
Meriam Ibrahim after being sentenced to die by a Sudanese Court for refusing to recant her Christian faith was released from prison today following a ruling by an appeals court that reversed her death penalty and recognized her marriage.
Ibrahim, raised a Christian by her mother and the daughter of a Muslim father, was charged with apostasy and adultery for marrying a South Sudanese Christian man. The government of Sudan considers all Sudanese-born children of a Muslim father to automatically be Muslim themselves. They also did not recognize her marriage to a South Sudanese Christian immigrant man, Daniel Wani, who is now a U.S. citizen. Ibrahim was also sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery.
He gave birth to their second child in prison.
BBC confirmed with her attorney that she has been released.
Caffeinated Thoughts spoke with Faith McDonnell, the director of the Institute on Religion and Democracy’s religious liberty program last week. McDonnell criticized the lack of action on the part of the U.S. State Department on behalf of her husband and children who are U.S. citizens.
McDonnell in a released statement said today, “I am very happy to hear the news that Meriam Ibrahim has not only been released, but her marriage to Daniel Wani has been recognized and all charges have dropped,” McDonnell said. “This should encourage not only all of us who have campaigned for Meriam, but all those who are advocates for freedom and secular democracy in Sudan that the regime does respond to pressure. Now the regime must be pressured to protect Meriam’s courageous attorneys who are receiving death threats for helping her.”
“It is time to put more pressure on the Obama Administration to instruct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to do what they should have done long ago — verify the U.S. citizenship of Meriam and Daniel’s children, Martin and Maya, and provide a spousal visa for Meriam so that they can come to America with Daniel. It is time to increase pressure on the Administration to act on behalf of all the people of Sudan,” McDonnell added.