UK government minister issues official protest at death sentence for pregnant Christian woman in Sudan

UK Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds, today called upon the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws. Commenting after a pregnant Sudanese mother was sentenced to death for apostasy and to 100 lashes for adultery, Mark Simmonds, said:

“I am truly appalled that a Sudanese court has sentenced Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag to death for apostasy. This barbaric sentence highlights the stark divide between the practices of the Sudanese courts and the country’s International Human Rights obligations.

“I urge the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief, including one’s right to follow the religion or belief of their choice, a right which is enshrined in international human rights law as well as in Sudan’s own 2005 Interim Constitution. The UK opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and urges the Government of Sudan to join what is a clear global trend to abolition.”

Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, 27, was born to a Muslim father, who left her mother to bring her up alone from when she was very young, and an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian mother. She was raised in her mother's faith and married a Christian man. She was reportedly turned in to the authorities by one of her relatives who claimed Mariam was committing adultery by marrying Daniel Wani, a Christian. She was sentenced to death on 15 May 2014 for allegedly committing apostasy from Islam, because although she says she has always been a Christian, the prosecution claimed she should have followed the faith of her absent father, and demanded, with the support of the judge, that she abandon her Christian faith. She was given three days to do so, but refused, arguing that she had been a Christian all her life, and could not rescind her beliefs at the request of a court.

To sign a petition calling for Meriam to be released see:  www.avaaz.org/en/petition/President_of_Sudan_Omar_AlBashir_Save_Mariam_Yahya/?tKEUnbb

Source: Lord Alton/Wiki