Petition to release pregnant Sudanese woman given death sentence for marrying a Christian reaches 650,000

A pregnant Sudanese woman who married a Christian man was sentenced to death  after she refused to recant her Christian faith.

Meriam Yahya Ibrahim married US national Daniel Wani in 2011. She was arrested after a Muslim relative claimed the marriage was invalid, thus adulterous, because Wani is Christian.  

Petition to release pregnant Sudanese woman who was given death sentence for marrying a Christian has reached 650,000 but Sudan government says its 'dangerous' to protest her treatment 

The petition that was sponsored by Amnesty International asks the Sudan government to stop the execution of Meriam Ibrahim, 27, who is eight-months pregnant

Meriam Ibrahim, whose father was Muslim but mother was an Orthodox Christian from Ethiopia, was convicted of "apostasy" on Sunday and given four days to repent and escape death.

The 26 year old, who is eight months pregnant, was sentenced after that grace period expired.
Amnesty International immediately condemned the sentence, calling it "abhorrent." The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply disturbed" by the sentencing and called on the government to respect the right to freedom of religion.

Meriam has been locked up in a notorious women’s prison in Khartoum since September after being charged with adultery and apostasy and given the death sentence.
She was also sentenced to 100 lashes as the Sudanese court refused to recognize her 2011 marriage to husband Daniel, a naturalized US citizen from Manchester, New Hampshire.

The judge in the case said that because she was born a Muslim she should stay a Muslim.

The case has attracted international outrage and the governments of the UK, the US and the Netherlands have all spoken of their concern.

But now, as Meriam’s lawyers file an appeal to get her off death row, Amnesty has revealed that its petition to have Meriam released has reached 650,000 signatures.

Her lawyer, called the conviction rushed and legally flawed since the judge refused to hear key defense witnesses and ignored constitutional provisions on freedom of worship and equality among citizens.
Ibrahim and Wani married in a formal church ceremony in 2011 and have a son, 18-month-old Martin, who is with her in jail.
Sudan's penal code criminalizes the conversion of Muslims into other religions, which is punishable by death.

Source; Mail on line
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2637477/Petition-release-pregnant-Sudanese-woman-given-death-sentence-marrying-Christian-reaches-650-000-Sudan-government-says-dangerous-protest-treatment.html