Advocates rally to free Meriam Ibrahim from Sudan prison and her child Maya
Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her Christian faith, gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Maya on May 27; the child was born in a Khartoum prison. In response, well over 1 million advocates have signed petitions and used the hashtag #SaveMeriam to demand Ibrahim’s release from prison and pardon from sentencing.
According to Christianity Today, an Amnesty International campaign has gained 620,000 appeals to the Sudan government, and petitions from Change.org and the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLU) have obtained almost 800,000 signatures together.
Ibrahim’s husband, American citizen Daniel Wani has not been permitted to see his wife, 20-month-old son, and newborn daughter.
“We are pleased to hear that Mrs. Ibrahim and her baby are reportedly in good health; however we urge the authorities to ensure the Mrs. Ibrahim’s husband and lawyers are granted access to see them both, and that mother and baby are granted the appropriate medical attention,” said a Christian Solidarity Worldwide Statement.
The news broke on Mother’s Day of Meriam’s plight. In that was the details of her case:
On February 7, 2014, Meriam was arrested, with her 20-month-old son, and put in a women’s prison. She had not been charged nor did she receive a fair trial. A relative had turned her in to the police for marrying a Christian. According to the Sudan’s Public Order Criminal Code, Meriam is a Muslim by default because she was born in Sudan. Thus, her marriage to a Christian is a criminal act.
On March 4th, Meriam was charged with adultery and apostasy. The adultery charge came with a punishment of 100 lashes. The apostasy charge came with a punishment of death. As it stands, Meriam will be put to death following the birth of her second child.
On May 11th, there will be a hearing to hear witnesses’ testimonies that Meriam has never practiced Islam and cannot possibly be a convert or have broken the law. This is her chance to avoid her death sentence. If it falls through, she will be executed next month, right after birthing her second child.
Meriam’s husband, Daniel, is not allowed to care for their child, Martin, because he is a Christian.
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