Sudan to release woman on death row for apostasy

27 years old Meriam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman on death row for apostasy had her sentence canceled and was ordered released by a Khartoum court on Monday, the country's official news agency reported.

The Court of Cassation canceled the death sentence against her after defense lawyers presented their case. The court ordered her release.

Ibrahim, whose father was Muslim but who was raised by her Christian mother, was convicted of apostasy for marrying a Christian. Sudan's penal code criminalizes the conversion of Muslims to other religions, a crime punishable by death. Ibrahim married a Christian man from southern Sudan in a church ceremony in 2011. As in many Muslim nations, Muslim women in Sudan are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims, though Muslim men can marry outside their faith.


Ibrahim has a son, 18-month-old Martin, who was living with her in jail, where she gave birth to a second child last month, local media reported. By law, children must follow their father's religion.

The sentence drew international condemnation, with Amnesty International calling it "abhorrent." The U.S. State Department said it was "deeply disturbed" by the sentence and called on the Sudanese government to respect religious freedoms.

/*A court of cassation is a high instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation do not re-examine the facts of a case, they are only competent for verifying the interpretation of the law. For this, they are appellate courts of the highest instance*/