Meriam Ibrahim was sentenced to death in her native Sudan for marrying a Christian man, but now after worldwide protests, the woman has reportedly been freed.
Ibrahim was sentenced to be flogged and hanged to death for marrying a Christian man. The woman was eight months pregnant when she was arrested.
The 27-year-old gave birth to a daughter this week while shackled in a jail cell, and became the subject of an international campaign to put pressure on the Sudanese government for her release. British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the “barbaric” punishment, and US Sen. Kelly Ayotte asked Secretary of State John Kerry to grant Ibrahim political asylum. The US State Department and White House both called on Sudan to uphold human rights standards.
Many celebrities and world figures also joined in the fight to free Meriam Ibrahim .
Hi #Sudan Gov. In my twitter feed word most used w ‘Sudan’ is “barbaric”. You can change that. #SaveMeriam Stop killing ppl in #Darfur etc
— mia farrow (@MiaFarrow) May 30, 2014
Meriam Yahya Ibrahim’s death sentence is abhorrent. Sudan should stop threatening religious freedom and fundamental human rights.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 24, 2014
An Amnesty International petition to stop the execution garnered more than 200,000 signatures, while a separate Change.org petition has 600,000 signatures.
Meriam Ibrahim was raised by a Christian mother and refused to renounce her faith. But a court ruled that because she had a Muslim father, she too belonged to the Muslim faith.
The court ruled that her marriage was annulled and then sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery. Sex outside a “lawful relationship” is illegal in Sudan. For the crime of renouncing Islam, she was sentenced to death by hanging.
Word that Meriam Ibrahim came out on Saturday, though British officials said they were still trying to confirm the reports.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are aware of and urgently seeking clarification from the Sudanese authorities of reports that Meriam Ibrahim, the mother facing the death penalty in Sudan, is to be freed.
“We have been strongly urging the government of the republic of Sudan to do all it can to overturn its decision to sentence her to death.”
There are no further details on exactly when Meriam Ibrahim will be freed, or whether she will seek asylum outside of Sudan.
