June 1, 2014 -- Updated 0809 GMT (1609 HKT)
The husband of a woman sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her
Christianity tells CNN's Nima Elbagir his wife is unlikely to change her
mind. FULL STORY
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WHY MARRYING FOR LOVE SHOULDN'T MEAN DEATH
Only a court can release Sudanese Christian woman on death row
May 31, 2014 -- Updated 2219 GMT (0619 HKT)
Exclusive: Sudanese woman's husband speaks out
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Foreign ministry denies reports that Meriam Yehya Abrahim would be released
- She has been condemned to die by hanging and gave birth to a baby girl this week at a Sudanese prison
- A Sudanese court issued the sentence after she refused to renounce her Christian faith
- Her husband says she's holding firm to her beliefs regardless of circumstances
Foreign ministry
spokesman Abubakar Al-Sidiq said that he is not aware of any plans to
release Mariam Yahya Ibrahim before a ruling from an appeals court.
Ibrahim was condemned to
die by hanging after she declined to profess she is a Muslim, the
religion of her father. Sharia law considers her a Muslim and does not
recognize her marriage to a Christian. She is unlikely to change her
mind despite giving birth in prison, says her husband Daniel Wani, who
also is a Christian.
Some Western media
outlets have reported that Ibrahim would be released in a few days, but
her husband said that only the appeals court could free his wife.
"I'm not aware that any release is imminent," Wani told CNN.
Technically, the
president of Sudan cannot pardon her, so the judiciary might be the only
way out for the government, which is coming under increased
international pressure to release Ibrahim.
The court convicted her
of apostasy and adultery two weeks ago. At the time, she was eight
months pregnant. She gave birth to a baby girl this week at a Khartoum
prison, where she's detained with Martin, her 20-month-old son.
Despite languishing in prison with two infants, she's holding firm to her beliefs, according to her husband.
"There is pressure on her
from Muslim religious leaders that she should return to the faith,"
Wani told CNN in a TV exclusive. "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.' "
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Wani said his wife is a practicing Christian, more so than him, and even had their son 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.' "
Wani, who is a U.S.
citizen, said he is thrilled about his new daughter but hopes her birth
doesn't hasten his wife's death sentence.
In past cases involving
pregnant or nursing women, Sudan waited until the mother had weaned her
child before executing any sentence. Sharia law as practiced in Sudan
prohibits carrying out the death sentence on an expectant woman until
two years after she gives birth.
CNN sought comment from
the Sudanese government and was directed to the justice ministry. A CNN
request for an interview was denied, and the justice minister said they
don't comment on such matters because a final judgment has not yet been
issued. An attempt to contact Sudan's foreign affairs minister for
comment was unsuccessful.
Woman raised as Christian, husband says
Ibrahim, 27, 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 a Christian, according to her attorney, Mohamed Jar Elnabi.
Wani said he'd never met
the relatives who made the accusations. His wife, he said, was raised a
Christian by her mother, an Ethiopian Orthodox, after her Muslim father
deserted the family when Ibrahim was 6.
"These people filed
charges claiming that she was their sister and filed a police report
saying that she had disappeared," he said.
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 the conviction, the couple also have to worry about their
children, Wani said.
"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 physical
condition makes the ordeal even harder. He uses a wheelchair and
"totally depends" on Ibrahim, according to her lawyer.
"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.
The court had warned her
to renounce her Christianity by May 15, but she has steadfastly
maintained she is a Christian and will remain so.
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.
'I'll stand by her'
Wani 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 ruling also
created shock waves in Sudan, where activists are defying the government
and criticizing what they consider an overly harsh implementation and
interpretation of Islam
"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 Sudanese government to reverse course.
There's no timetable on
when the judicial process will be over, but the couple isn't giving up.
The appeals court's ruling could come within the next week, their
attorney 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 Sharia law.
CNN's Nima Elbagir reported from Khartoum,
and Faith Karimi reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Greg Botelho
contributed to this report.
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