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| Sudan woman faces death for apostasy | Sudan woman faces death for apostasy |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Sudanese court has sentenced a woman to hang for apostasy - the abandonment of her religious faith - after she married a Christian man. | |
| Amnesty International condemned the sentence, handed down by a judge in Khartoum, as "appalling and abhorrent". | Amnesty International condemned the sentence, handed down by a judge in Khartoum, as "appalling and abhorrent". |
| Local media report the sentence on the woman, who is pregnant, would not be carried out for two years after she had given birth. | |
| Sudan has a majority Muslim population, which is governed by Islamic law. | |
| "We gave you three days to recant but you insist on not returning to Islam. I sentence you to be hanged to death," the judge told the woman, AFP reports. | |
| Western embassies and rights groups had urged Sudan to respect the right of the pregnant woman to choose her religion. | Western embassies and rights groups had urged Sudan to respect the right of the pregnant woman to choose her religion. |
| The judge also sentenced the woman to 100 lashes after convicting her of adultery - because her marriage to a Christian man was not valid under Islamic law. | The judge also sentenced the woman to 100 lashes after convicting her of adultery - because her marriage to a Christian man was not valid under Islamic law. |
| This will reportedly be carried out when she has recovered from giving birth. | This will reportedly be carried out when she has recovered from giving birth. |
| Earlier in the hearing, an Islamic cleric spoke with her in a caged dock for about 30 minutes, AFP reports. | Earlier in the hearing, an Islamic cleric spoke with her in a caged dock for about 30 minutes, AFP reports. |
| Then she calmly told the judge: "I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy." | Then she calmly told the judge: "I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy." |
| Rival protesters | Rival protesters |
| Amnesty International said the woman, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag, was raised as an Orthodox Christian, her mother's religion, because her father, a Muslim, was reportedly absent during her childhood. | Amnesty International said the woman, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim Ishag, was raised as an Orthodox Christian, her mother's religion, because her father, a Muslim, was reportedly absent during her childhood. |
| In court, the judge addressed her by her Muslim name, Adraf Al-Hadi Mohammed Abdullah. | In court, the judge addressed her by her Muslim name, Adraf Al-Hadi Mohammed Abdullah. |
| She was convicted of adultery on the grounds that her marriage to a Christian man from South Sudan was void under Sudan's version of Islamic law, which says Muslim women cannot marry non-Muslims. | She was convicted of adultery on the grounds that her marriage to a Christian man from South Sudan was void under Sudan's version of Islamic law, which says Muslim women cannot marry non-Muslims. |
| The woman was originally sentenced to death on Sunday but given until Thursday to return to Islam. | The woman was originally sentenced to death on Sunday but given until Thursday to return to Islam. |
| There were small groups of protesters outside the court - both her supporters and those who back the punishment. | There were small groups of protesters outside the court - both her supporters and those who back the punishment. |
| About 50 people chanting "No to executing Meriam" were confronted by a smaller group who supported the verdict, but there was no violence. | About 50 people chanting "No to executing Meriam" were confronted by a smaller group who supported the verdict, but there was no violence. |
| Amnesty's Sudan researcher Manar Idriss condemned the punishments, saying apostasy and adultery should not be considered crimes. | Amnesty's Sudan researcher Manar Idriss condemned the punishments, saying apostasy and adultery should not be considered crimes. |
| "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," he 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," he said. |
| The BBC's Osman Mohamed, in Khartoum, says death sentences are rarely carried out in Sudan. | The BBC's Osman Mohamed, in Khartoum, says death sentences are rarely carried out in Sudan. |
| Her lawyers plan an appeal to a higher court to get the sentence overturned. | Her lawyers plan an appeal to a higher court to get the sentence overturned. |
| On Tuesday, the embassies of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands issued a joint statement expressing "deep concern" about the case and urging Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion, AFP says. | On Tuesday, the embassies of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands issued a joint statement expressing "deep concern" about the case and urging Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion, AFP says. |
| The woman was arrested and charged with adultery in August 2013, and the court added the charge of apostasy in February 2014 when she said she was a Christian and not a Muslim, Amnesty said. | The woman was arrested and charged with adultery in August 2013, and the court added the charge of apostasy in February 2014 when she said she was a Christian and not a Muslim, Amnesty said. |
| The group called for her immediate release. | The group called for her immediate release. |
| She is said to be eight months' pregnant. | She is said to be eight months' pregnant. |