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A Christian woman sentenced to death by a Sudanese court after refusing to recant her faith has reportedly been released following the ruling of an appeal court. According to the BCC, Mariam Yahya Ibrahim's attorney has confirmed her release.
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.
Ibrahim's death sentence sparked international outrage, inflamed by reports of her childbirth in shackles.
IRD Religious Liberty Program Director Faith J. H. McDonnell commented:
"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.
"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.
"In Sudan there are thousands of Meriams not in jail cells, but hiding in Nuba Mountain caves -- trying to escape from the Government of Sudan's bombing. There are Meriams trying to prevent their children from dying of starvation in Blue Nile State, where Sudan is also waging genocidal war."
