A Christian woman who was condemned to death, acquitted and
rearrested as she tried to flee Sudan, was released for a second time
yesterday after a senior US diplomat apologised for issuing her with a
visa.
Meriam Ibrahim was seized at Khartoum airport on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after an appeal court overturned her convictions for adultery and apostasy and ordered her release.
Agents from Sudan’s national intelligence and security service accused her of having a false passport and charged her with impersonation. She was arrested with her husband, Daniel Wani, an American citizen, and their infant children Martin and Maya, who was born in prison.
They had arrived at Khartoum airport in an American embassy car. Ms Ibrahim, 27, was travelling on a recently issued South Sudanese passport, with a visa to enter the United States. America’s charge d’affaires in Khartoum, Jerry Lanier, was summoned to the ministry of foreign affairs on Tuesday.
A source familiar with the case said that Ms Ibrahim may have to stay in Sudan, but Abu Bakr al-Sideeg, a foreign ministry spokesman, said she could leave if she “follows the required legal procedures and holds the proper identification papers”. She had faced 100 lashes for adultery and death by hanging for renouncing Islam.
Meriam Ibrahim was seized at Khartoum airport on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after an appeal court overturned her convictions for adultery and apostasy and ordered her release.
Agents from Sudan’s national intelligence and security service accused her of having a false passport and charged her with impersonation. She was arrested with her husband, Daniel Wani, an American citizen, and their infant children Martin and Maya, who was born in prison.
They had arrived at Khartoum airport in an American embassy car. Ms Ibrahim, 27, was travelling on a recently issued South Sudanese passport, with a visa to enter the United States. America’s charge d’affaires in Khartoum, Jerry Lanier, was summoned to the ministry of foreign affairs on Tuesday.
A source familiar with the case said that Ms Ibrahim may have to stay in Sudan, but Abu Bakr al-Sideeg, a foreign ministry spokesman, said she could leave if she “follows the required legal procedures and holds the proper identification papers”. She had faced 100 lashes for adultery and death by hanging for renouncing Islam.
No comments:
Post a Comment