Baby ‘ray of light’ for woman facing death in Sudan
The Sudan Council of Churches has disapproved the verdict raised against the Christian Maryam Yahya Ibrahim, which contradicts the international Conventions of Human Rights Sudan signed. In an attempt to reverse her death sentence, South Sudan has entered talks with the Sudanese government. The verdict has provoked a massive response from supporters. This week, the husband of the 27-year-old mother was allowed to see the baby girl she gave birth to in the Khartoum prison on 27 May. Father Daniel Wani also got the chance to hold his 20-month-old son, who is being held in the same prison with his mother. Her lawyer told Mail Online that the new arrival has brought “a momentary ray of light to an otherwise bleak and desperate situation”. Hanging for apostasy Ibrahim, with her son, was first arrested in August last year because her husband is a Christian. This month, the Sudanese court ruled that the pregnant Ibrahim was guilty of ‘apostasy’ and ‘adultery’, for marrying a Christian as a Muslim woman. Ibrahim was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery and to be hanged for apostasy. Ibrahim denied the charges, telling the court that she may well be the daughter of a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Christian woman, but had been brought up as a Christian after her father left when she was six. She refused to renounce her Christian faith. Sudan’s Criminal Code states that a pregnant woman sentenced to death must give birth and nurse her child for two years before her execution can go ahead. “This issue has raised widespread resentment and discontent amongst the Sudanese community in general and Christians in particular,” the churches under the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) said in a joint statement on Wednesday. They wrote that the sentence undermines Articles 31 and 38 – ‘All persons are equal before the law’ and ‘Every person has the right to the freedom of religious creed’. Also, Sudan is a signatory to the International Convention of Human Rights, which provides the freedom of belief. The SCC therefore demanded abolition of the verdict. The churches also called for the review of all laws against Christians to be consistent with the Constitution and the International Human Rights convention. “We praise and appreciate the steadfast position of Mrs Maryam to her moral and religious belief.” According to her lawyer, she had told her husband during his visit: “If they want to execute me, then they should go ahead and do it because I’m not going to change my faith. I am not giving up Christianity just so that I can live.” Juba, Khartoum talk reversion In an attempt to reverse the verdict, South Sudan has entered into dialogue with the Sudanese government, Charles Manyang, the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s under-secretary said on Thursday. “The point is that recently, through our embassy in Khartoum, we were able to approach the Sudanese government over the decision of the court which sentenced a woman married to our one of citizens,” Manyang explained to Sudan Tribune. “And the response we got was positive.” Ibrahim’s death sentence has sparked international condemnation, provoking statements of concern from the Sudanese civil society, the United Nations, and governments around the world as well as an exceptional response from Amnesty International supporters. “The plight and the bravery of this young pregnant mother has clearly touched the world. More than 620,000 supporters have taken action to call for her immediate and unconditional release,” said Manar Idris, Amnesty International’s Sudan researcher. Amnesty International UK has set up an e-mail campaign for people who wish to ask Sudan to release Ibrahim immediately and unconditionally, move towards abolishing of the death penalty, and abolish flogging as a punishment. 153,703 people have send this e-mail so far. News photo: Baby Maya, born in jail to the woman facing execution in Sudan for marrying the Christian Daniel Wani, in the arms of her father. Related: Sudan’s ambassadors summoned by UK, NL over woman’s death sentence (20 May 2014)
The Sudan Council of Churches has disapproved the verdict raised against the Christian Maryam Yahya Ibrahim, which contradicts the international Conventions of Human Rights Sudan signed. In an attempt to reverse her death sentence, South Sudan has entered talks with the Sudanese government. The verdict has provoked a massive response from supporters.
This week, the husband of the 27-year-old mother was allowed to see the baby girl she gave birth to in the Khartoum prison on 27 May. Father Daniel Wani also got the chance to hold his 20-month-old son, who is being held in the same prison with his mother. Her lawyer told Mail Online that the new arrival has brought “a momentary ray of light to an otherwise bleak and desperate situation”.
Hanging for apostasy
Ibrahim, with her son, was first arrested in August last year because her husband is a Christian. This month, the Sudanese court ruled that the pregnant Ibrahim was guilty of ‘apostasy’ and ‘adultery’, for marrying a Christian as a Muslim woman. Ibrahim was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery and to be hanged for apostasy. Ibrahim denied the charges, telling the court that she may well be the daughter of a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Christian woman, but had been brought up as a Christian after her father left when she was six. She refused to renounce her Christian faith. Sudan’s Criminal Code states that a pregnant woman sentenced to death must give birth and nurse her child for two years before her execution can go ahead.
“This issue has raised widespread resentment and discontent amongst the Sudanese community in general and Christians in particular,” the churches under the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) said in a joint statement on Wednesday. They wrote that the sentence undermines Articles 31 and 38 – ‘All persons are equal before the law’ and ‘Every person has the right to the freedom of religious creed’. Also, Sudan is a signatory to the International Convention of Human Rights, which provides the freedom of belief. The SCC therefore demanded abolition of the verdict.
The churches also called for the review of all laws against Christians to be consistent with the Constitution and the International Human Rights convention. “We praise and appreciate the steadfast position of Mrs Maryam to her moral and religious belief.”
According to her lawyer, she had told her husband during his visit: “If they want to execute me, then they should go ahead and do it because I’m not going to change my faith. I am not giving up Christianity just so that I can live.”
Juba, Khartoum talk reversion
In an attempt to reverse the verdict, South Sudan has entered into dialogue with the Sudanese government, Charles Manyang, the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s under-secretary said on Thursday. “The point is that recently, through our embassy in Khartoum, we were able to approach the Sudanese government over the decision of the court which sentenced a woman married to our one of citizens,” Manyang explained to Sudan Tribune. “And the response we got was positive.”
Ibrahim’s death sentence has sparked international condemnation, provoking statements of concern from the Sudanese civil society, the United Nations, and governments around the world as well as an exceptional response from Amnesty International supporters.
“The plight and the bravery of this young pregnant mother has clearly touched the world. More than 620,000 supporters have taken action to call for her immediate and unconditional release,” said Manar Idris, Amnesty International’s Sudan researcher.
Amnesty International UK has set up an e-mail campaign for people who wish to ask Sudan to release Ibrahim immediately and unconditionally, move towards abolishing of the death penalty, and abolish flogging as a punishment. 153,703 people have send this e-mail so far.
News photo: Baby Maya, born in jail to the woman facing execution in Sudan for marrying the Christian Daniel Wani, in the arms of her father.
Related: Sudan’s ambassadors summoned by UK, NL over woman’s death sentence (20 May 2014)
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