Written by Don Byrd
Mariam Ibrahim, a Sudanese Christian woman previously sentenced to death for converting from Islam, has been released, according to an Reuters report. The story generated worldwide outrage in recent weeks and considerable pressure from British and American governments.
An earlier report of her impending release turned out to be premature, deflating the hopes of those of us who have closely followed the story. Now, the state news agency confirms she has been released:
“The appeal court ordered the release of Mariam Yahya and the cancellation of the (previous) court ruling,” Sudan’s SUNA news agency said. A government official had told Reuters on May 31 that Sudanese officials were working to release Ibrahim.
Ibrahim’s lawyer Mohaned Mostafa said she has already been released and sent “to an unknown house to stay at for her protection and security.”
“Her family had been threatened before and we are worried that someone might try to harm her,” Mostafa told Reuters.
For what it’s worth, Ibrahim – who is married to an American Christian – argues she did not convert from Islam but was raised a Christian by her mother. But obviously, that should not matter. Apostasy laws are abhorrent. They violate basic human rights of conscience. There should be no place for them in the world today. Unfortunately, as Pew Research reports, they are all too common.
