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UK peers visit teacher in Sudan | UK peers visit teacher in Sudan |
(11 minutes later) | |
Two British Muslim members of the House of Lords have met the British teacher jailed in Sudan for insulting Islam. | Two British Muslim members of the House of Lords have met the British teacher jailed in Sudan for insulting Islam. |
Labour's Lord Ahmed and the Conservative's Baroness Warsi met Gillian Gibbons at a secret location in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. | Labour's Lord Ahmed and the Conservative's Baroness Warsi met Gillian Gibbons at a secret location in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. |
They have already met one Sudanese official and there are hopes they will meet the Sudanese president later, although that has not been confirmed. | They have already met one Sudanese official and there are hopes they will meet the Sudanese president later, although that has not been confirmed. |
Mrs Gibbons' defence team is confident she will be pardoned by the president. | |
Diplomatic crisis | |
Mrs Gibbons is being held in secret due to real fears for her safety after crowds of protestors marched in the capital demanding a tougher sentence, some of whom called for the death penalty. | Mrs Gibbons is being held in secret due to real fears for her safety after crowds of protestors marched in the capital demanding a tougher sentence, some of whom called for the death penalty. |
Analysts believe it would suit the Sudanese government to be seen to be showing mercy Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7122562.stm">UK Sudanese defends teacher | |
Sources close to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir believe there will be more chance of securing Mrs Gibbons release through a Muslim-led delegation. | |
Lord Ahmed and Lady Warsi travelled to Khartoum on their own initiative after private negotiation with Sudanese officials. | Lord Ahmed and Lady Warsi travelled to Khartoum on their own initiative after private negotiation with Sudanese officials. |
The Foreign Office has made it clear that the peers' visit is separate to its ongoing efforts to get Mrs Gibbons freed. | The Foreign Office has made it clear that the peers' visit is separate to its ongoing efforts to get Mrs Gibbons freed. |
On Friday, Lord Ahmed's office told the BBC: "We have it from the top that Sudanese authorities will co-operate in relation to her release." | |
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the meeting could provide a way out of the diplomatic crisis. | |
"Analysts believe it would suit the Sudanese government to be seen to be showing mercy in handing her over to a Muslim delegation, instead of appearing to 'give in' to their former colonial masters, the British government," Mr Gardner said. |