Sudanese court orders release of woman sentenced to death for apostasy

A Sudanese court on Monday ordered the release of a 27-year-old woman who was sentenced to death last month for converting from Islam to Christianity, the state news agency said.

The case of Meriam Ibrahim, who is married to a Christian American, triggered an international outcry. Britain had last month summoned the Sudanese charge d’affaires in protest at the sentencing. ‘The appeal court ordered the release of Meriam Ibrahim and the cancellation of the (previous) court ruling,’ Sudan’s SUNA news agency said. 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 said.

Ibrahim was sentenced to 100 lashes for what it deemed her adultery for marrying a Christian.