Pregnant woman refusing to renounce her faith to be hanged

A 27-year-old pregnant woman has been given the death penalty for converting to Christianity.

12:43 16 May 2014

27-year-old pregnant mother Mariam Yahya Ibrahim is to be hanged after she refused to abandon Christianity and return to Islam. 

 

The mother of a 20-month-old boy, who was given three days to recant, told the judge: "I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy." 

 

She is also charged for “adultery” for marrying a Christian man and was sentenced to 100 lashes. 

 

Members of the international community has appealed the decision and expressed deep concern over the case. 

 

Following the sentence, one of her lawyers Mohanad Mustafa said that they will make an appeal. 

 

Meanwhile, Manar Idriss, Amnesty International's Sudan researcher, said: "The fact that a woman has been sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion is appalling and abhorrent.

 

"Adultery and apostasy are acts which should not be considered crimes at all. 

 

It is flagrant breach of international human rights law."

 

Mariam, who is born to a Muslim father, was convicted under the Islamic sharia law that has been in force in Sudan since 1983 and outlaws conversions under threat of death.