Sudanese woman undaunted by apostasy death sentence, husband says

Watch video below

Daniel Wani is thrilled about his daughter's birth -- but hoping it doesn't hasten his wife's death sentence.

His pregnant wife, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, was condemned to die by hanging after she refused to renounce her Christian faith and profess she was a Muslim.

When Ibrahim was convicted of apostasy and adultery by a Sudanese court two weeks ago, she was eight months pregnant.

She gave birth to the couple's baby girl this week at a Khartoum prison, where she's detained together with her 20-month-old son.

Pregnant Christian sentenced to death

Will Sudan execute jailed young mother?

Husband: All I can do is pray

In past cases involving pregnant or nursing women, Sudan waited until the mother had weaned her child before executing any sentence. Her baby's early birth makes her impending death sentence more daunting.

But despite languishing in prison with two infants, she's holding firm to her beliefs.

"There is pressure on her from Muslim religious leaders that she should return to the faith," Wani said. "She said, 'how can I return when I never was a Muslim? Yes my father was a Muslim, but I was brought up by my mother.' "

Wani said his wife is a practicing Christian, more so than him, and even had their son, Martin, baptized.

"I know my wife. She's committed," he said. "Even last week, they brought in Sheikhs and she told them, 'I'm pretty sure I'm not going to change my mind.' "

The arrest

Ibrahim was arrested after Muslim relatives accused her of renouncing her religion.

Their complaint alleged that she went missing for years, and her family was shocked to find out she married Wani, a Christian, according to her lawyer.

Wani said he'd never met the relatives who made the accusations. His wife, he said, was raised a Christian by her mother, who was Ethiopian Orthodox, after her Muslim father deserted the family when Ibrahim was age 6.

"These people filed charges claiming that she was their sister and filed a police report saying that she had disappeared," he said.

'She's frustrated'

At first, Ibrahim was charged with adultery for marrying a Christian. The apostasy accusation was added after she maintained she was a Christian, according to her husband.

"The police originally called for the case to be dismissed, but these people went back and added another charge ... which is adultery, by saying she was their sister and a Muslim. It is illegal for a Muslim woman to marry a Christian man, therefore we were brought before the court."

She's been detained since January 17, he said. In addition to the emotional turmoil resulting from her conviction, they have to worry about their children.

"An illegitimate marriage does not result in legally recognized offspring, which means that my son and the new baby are no longer mine, he said.

Wani's own physical condition makes the ordeal even harder. He uses a wheelchair and "totally depends" on Ibrahim, according to her lawyer, Mohamed Jar Elnabi.

"He cannot live without her," he said.

Wani said he's not been allowed to visit his detained family as much since the apostasy charge was added.

"She's in a bad mood," he said of his wife. "She's frustrated."

More punishment

In addition to the death sentence, the court sentenced Ibrahim to 100 lashes for the adultery conviction.

To avoid this fate, all she had to do was recant her Christian faith and profess she was Muslim, the religion of her father.

The court had warned her to renounce her Christianity by May 15, but she has steadfastly maintained that she is a Christian, and will remain a Christian.

Sudanese Parliament speaker Fatih Izz Al-Deen said claims that she was raised as a non-Muslim were untrue.

She was raised in an Islamic environment, and her brother, a Muslim, filed the complaint against her, according to Al-Deen.

Attempts to contact Sudan's justice minister and foreign affairs minister for comment have been unsuccessful.

'I'll stand by her'

Wani, an American citizen, said he was optimistic the appeal their lawyers have filed would lead to the court's ruling being overturned.

"I'm hoping that, given the way people have come together around the world -- which I want to thank them for," he said.

"All the rights groups, all the broadcasters ... It's looking like it had an effect. Perhaps it will result in the judgment being overturned."

But until it's done, the mother of his children has his support.

"I'm standing by her to end. Whatever she wants, I'll stand by her," he said.

Worldwide condemnation

Rights groups and foreign embassies worldwide have condemned the verdict.

"The fact that a woman could be sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion, is abhorrent and should never be even considered," said Manar Idriss, Amnesty International's Sudan researcher.

Foreign embassies in Khartoum, including those of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, urged the government to reverse course.

Though there's no timetable on when the judicial process will finish, the couple isn't giving up. The appeals court's ruling could come within the next week, their lawyer says.

Until then, they're grasping at small signs of hope. The last time Sudan executed someone for apostasy was in 1985, when a man criticized the implementation of Sharia law.