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| Teddy row teacher to be released | Teddy row teacher to be released |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| UK 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 on 29 November. | |
| Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her after a meeting with two British Muslim peers. | Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her after a meeting with two British Muslim peers. |
| In a statement, Mrs Gibbons said: "I am sorry if I caused any distress". UK prime minister Gordon Brown said he was "delighted and relieved" at the news. | |
| Mrs Gibbons is expected to be released into the care of the British embassy in Khartoum later on Monday and flown back to the UK. | |
| I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress Gillian Gibbons Reaction in quotes Teacher freed - your views | I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress Gillian Gibbons Reaction in quotes Teacher freed - your views |
| In a statement read out by Baroness Warsi, Mrs Gibbons said: "I have been in Sudan for only four months but I have enjoyed myself immensely. | |
| "I have encountered nothing but kindness and generosity from the Sudanese people. I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress. | "I have encountered nothing but kindness and generosity from the Sudanese people. I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress. |
| Baroness Warsi and Lord Ahmed both travelled to Sudan | Baroness Warsi and Lord Ahmed both travelled to Sudan |
| "I was extremely happy working in Unity High School and there I had made some wonderful friends. | "I was extremely happy working in Unity High School and there I had made some wonderful friends. |
| "My class was delighted and were making wonderful progress with their studies. I will miss them terribly and I am very sad to think that they have been distressed by this event. | "My class was delighted and were making wonderful progress with their studies. I will miss them terribly and I am very sad to think that they have been distressed by this event. |
| "I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all who have worked so hard whilst I have been in prison. Thank you also for the messages of support. | |
| "I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends but I am very sorry that I will be unable to return to Sudan and work in Unity High School as the teacher of 2X." | "I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends but I am very sorry that I will be unable to return to Sudan and work in Unity High School as the teacher of 2X." |
| 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: "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." |
| TEDDY ROW TEACHER TIMELINE Sept: Gillian Gibbons' class votes to name a teddy bear Muhammad25 Nov: She is arrested for allegedly insulting Islam's Prophet27 Nov: Gordon Brown says efforts are being made to release her28 Nov: Mrs Gibbons is charged with insulting religion and inciting hatred29 Nov: A Sudanese court finds her guilty of insulting Islam and sentences her to 15 days in prison and deportation30 Nov: Angry protesters in Khartoum demand a harsher sentence1 Dec: Two British Muslim peers press Sudanese officials to pardon her3 Dec: Mrs Gibbons is pardoned by Sudan's president and freed from prison In pictures: Teddy row | TEDDY ROW TEACHER TIMELINE Sept: Gillian Gibbons' class votes to name a teddy bear Muhammad25 Nov: She is arrested for allegedly insulting Islam's Prophet27 Nov: Gordon Brown says efforts are being made to release her28 Nov: Mrs Gibbons is charged with insulting religion and inciting hatred29 Nov: A Sudanese court finds her guilty of insulting Islam and sentences her to 15 days in prison and deportation30 Nov: Angry protesters in Khartoum demand a harsher sentence1 Dec: Two British Muslim peers press Sudanese officials to pardon her3 Dec: Mrs Gibbons is pardoned by Sudan's president and freed from prison In pictures: Teddy row |
| Speaking to reporters outside his home in Liverpool, Mrs Gibbons' son John said he was "very pleased". | |
| He said: "I'd like to thank the government for all they have done, the hard work behind the scenes, especially the two peers who went out there. | He said: "I'd like to thank the government for all they have done, the hard work behind the scenes, especially the two peers who went out there. |
| "Everyone's been really great. Obviously it's a great feeling today, we're very pleased, we have been under a lot of pressure." | |
| He said his mother would be "very pleased although quite embarrassed to be on the news permanently". | He said his mother would be "very pleased although quite embarrassed to be on the news permanently". |
| Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he welcomed President al-Bashir's intervention. | Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he welcomed President al-Bashir's intervention. |
| "I want to pay tribute to the work of Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi, whose welcome initiative has been important in securing this outcome," he said. | "I want to pay tribute to the work of Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi, whose welcome initiative has been important in securing this outcome," he said. |
| "They, and the Muslim community in the UK, have shared our view that this was always an innocent misunderstanding." | "They, and the Muslim community in the UK, have shared our view that this was always an innocent misunderstanding." |
| Ibrahim Mogra from the Muslim Council of Britain, told BBC News 24 that the whole saga was very damaging for the image of the Muslim faith. | Ibrahim Mogra from the Muslim Council of Britain, told BBC News 24 that the whole saga was very damaging for the image of the Muslim faith. |
| "Each time we have stories like these, that distort what Islam stands for or misrepresents what the compassion of Muslim law stands for. | "Each time we have stories like these, that distort what Islam stands for or misrepresents what the compassion of Muslim law stands for. |
| "Then we have repercussions and people begin to feel that Islam has no place in modern society, whereas we believe that Islam is for all time to come. | "Then we have repercussions and people begin to feel that Islam has no place in modern society, whereas we believe that Islam is for all time to come. |
| "I have not come across one single Muslim in our country who has supported what has happened.'' | "I have not come across one single Muslim in our country who has supported what has happened.'' |
| Protesters had called for a harsher sentence to be handed down | Protesters had called for a harsher sentence to be handed down |
| President Omar al-Bashir had 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. |