This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7124447.stm
The article has changed 23 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Teddy row teacher to be released | Teddy row teacher to be released |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Teacher Gillian Gibbons is to be released from prison in Sudan after she was jailed for allowing children in her class to name a teddy bear Muhammad. | Teacher Gillian Gibbons is to be released from prison in Sudan after she was jailed for allowing children in her class to name a teddy bear Muhammad. |
| Mrs Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was jailed for 15 days by a court in Sudan. | Mrs Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was jailed for 15 days by a court in Sudan. |
| Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her after a meeting with two British Muslim peers, Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi. | Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her after a meeting with two British Muslim peers, Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "delighted and relieved" at the news and that "common sense had prevailed". | Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "delighted and relieved" at the news and that "common sense had prevailed". |
| The BBC's Adam Mynott said Mrs Gibbons is expected to be released later on Monday. | The BBC's Adam Mynott said Mrs Gibbons is expected to be released later on Monday. |
| The jailing of Mrs Gibbons has led to an international outcry and has embarrassed the government. | The jailing of Mrs Gibbons has led to an international outcry and has embarrassed the government. |
| Lord Ahmed thanked the president for granting the pardon and said both he and Baroness Warsi were proud to have been able to help Mrs Gibbons. | |
| "This is a case which is unfortunate, unintentional, innocent misunderstanding, and as British Muslim Parliamentarians we, Baroness Warsi and myself, we feel proud that we've been able to secure Gillian Gibbon's release." | |
| Efforts applauded | Efforts applauded |
| Mr Brown said Mrs Gibbons would be released into the care of the British embassy in Khartoum. | Mr Brown said Mrs Gibbons would be released into the care of the British embassy in Khartoum. |
| "Through the course of Mrs Gibbons' detention I was glad to see Muslim groups across the UK express strong support for her case. | |
| "I applaud the particular efforts of Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi in securing her freedom. I am also grateful to our officials for all their work behind the scenes." | "I applaud the particular efforts of Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi in securing her freedom. I am also grateful to our officials for all their work behind the scenes." |
| Downing St confirmed that Mr Brown spoke to Mrs Gibbons' son John Gibbons on Monday morning. | |
| A spokesman said they talked about the behind the scenes work that had been going on to secure Mrs Gibbons' release. | |
| One of Mrs Gibbons' former teaching colleagues said he was delighted by her release. | |
| Rick Widdowson, headteacher of Garston Primary School in Liverpool where she worked for 12 years, said: "Everyone is very relieved and very pleased. | |
| Baroness Warsi and Lord Ahmed both travelled to Sudan | |
| "We feel it should never have come to this but it's a good ending." | |
| President Omar al-Bashir has been under pressure from Sudanese hardliners to ensure Mrs Gibbons served her full sentence. | President Omar al-Bashir has been under pressure from Sudanese hardliners to ensure Mrs Gibbons served her full sentence. |
| There had even been calls for a retrial and for the sentence to be increased. | There had even been calls for a retrial and for the sentence to be increased. |
| Mrs Gibbons had been held in a secret location due to fears for her safety. | Mrs Gibbons had been held in a secret location due to fears for her safety. |
| She was arrested after a member of staff at Unity High School complained to the Ministry of Education. | She was arrested after a member of staff at Unity High School complained to the Ministry of Education. |
| Crowds of protesters had marched in the capital Khartoum demanding a tougher sentence for her alleged crime of blasphemy. Some called for her to be executed by firing squad. | Crowds of protesters had marched in the capital Khartoum demanding a tougher sentence for her alleged crime of blasphemy. Some called for her to be executed by firing squad. |
| The British politicians had meetings with Sudanese government officials, including the foreign minister, over the weekend. | The British politicians had meetings with Sudanese government officials, including the foreign minister, over the weekend. |
| They had been due to return home on Monday, but announced they would stay for a third day, after indications that the weekend's "difficult" meetings had led to progress in the case. | They had been due to return home on Monday, but announced they would stay for a third day, after indications that the weekend's "difficult" meetings had led to progress in the case. |