Victory !
News of Meriam Ibrahim Yahia Ishag, a Christian sentenced to death for apostasy in Sudan. Meriam was able to leave her country and was welcomed in Italy with her husband and children. She was received by Pope Francis. Her conviction was quashed on appeal on June 23, when she gave birth to a daughter in late May in prison. Meriam Ishag, 27, had taken refuge in late June at the Embassy of the United States after the cancellation of her conviction.
Meriam Yahya Ibrahim remains in prison despite a strong mobilisation
Despite the strong mobilisation around his case, Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a Sudanese Christian woman sentenced to death for his religion is still being detained.
On 27 May 2014, Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, the young 27 year old woman sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy and 100 lashes for adultery, gave birth in prison to a daughter. She is currently imprisoned with her 20 month old son. Her husband, who was able to visit them in prison, said they were doing well. On May 5, his application to appeal was transferred to the Court of Appeal in Khartoum. On 9 June 2014, his lawyer Mohannad Moustapha, told Agence France Presse: "the judiciary has appointed three judges last week to consider the appeal presented in the case of Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag" while stating that he was unaware of the date of announcement of the decision on the appeal. The situation of Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag raised an international outcry. Several countries, like the United States, France, Britain and the Netherlands have strongly denounced the verdict of the Sudanese justice.
On 10 June 2014, the presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament issued a joint statement with several religious leaders, in which they expressed in a collegial manner "deep dismay and concern" about the fate of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag. They urged the Sudanese authorities to respect freedom of religion and to revoke the 'inhumane verdict "delivered against Ms. Ishag and release her" urgently ". The authors of the declaration reaffirmed that "freedom of religion and belief is a universal human right that is placed in high regard by the European Union and needs to be protected everywhere and for everyone." It is more necessary than ever to act in favor of the release of Meriam.
No to the execution of MERIAM!
Born to a Muslim father, Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag was sentenced to death by hanging under Islamic law in Sudan since 1983, and which prohibits religious conversions under penalty of death. She was sentenced a month before giving birth for refusing to convert to Islam.
We strongly condemn the sentence and urge the Sudanese Government to respect its obligations under international laws “protecting human rights” and the “systematic, flagrant and continuous freedom of religion” in Sudan.
