Meriam Ibrahim lawyers prevented from leaving Sudan, ‘tarnished’ country’s image
After making global headlines for arresting a pregnant woman and sentencing her to death, the Sudan how now banned five attorneys from leaving the country after a separate lawyer accused them of tainting the country’s image by defending Meriam Ibrahim.
Meriam Ibrahim and family
Attorney Iman Hassan submitted a letter of complaint to a Sudan court attacking Ibrahim’s lawyers and requested that the court revoke the licenses of the five lawyers, who are not Christian but support the rights of Christians and other minorities in the country.
“The five attorneys have tarnished the image of Sudan by allowing human right organizations to put pressure on the government,” Hassan wrote in the complaint.
The court in Ibrahim’s case rejected Hassan’s attempt to defend the Christian mother at Ibrahim’s request, the defense attorneys said.
Ibrahim was sentenced to death after refusing to renounce Christ, but the sentence was revoked on June 23, less than two months after Morning Star News broke the story that set off a firestorm of international protests, and she was permitted to leave the country on July 24.
The defense attorneys said judicial authorities appear to be biased against them. One said he was surprised that the government sought to retaliate for a case that was already closed.
“Who can challenge the government?” he told Morning Star News.
“We have been told to give explanation to the accusations filed against us without being given enough time,” said another defense attorney. “We have no intention to leave the country, but it seems time has come for ‘payback’ for our work on Meriam’s case.”
Check out the top stories covering Meriam’s plight on The Dispatch HERE
