Manchester student petitions for pregnant Sudanese woman on death row

A University of Manchester student is petitioning the Sudanese government and world leaders to save Mariam Ibrahim – the pregnant Sudanese woman sentenced to death earlier this month for apostasy.

Emily Clarke, 19, studying Law with Politics, started a petition on change.org after hearing news of the sentence. To date, it has over 240,000 signatures, and has been translated into several languages.

Appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday, Clarke outlined her reasons for petitioning for Ibrahim’s release.

“I just couldn’t believe that a woman, no matter where she lives, is going to be executed for what she believes in and for who she married. I’ve spoken to my friends and family and they also feel the same.”

She added, “It’s just a breach of human rights and it’s outrageous.”

Clarke also explained her case online, “People around the world rallied to raise awareness to #bringbackthegirls kidnapped in Nigeria. I hope the world will also stand up for Mariam.

“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.

“Call upon the government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion and stop the execution!”

Mariam Ibrahim is the daughter of a Muslim man and Christian woman. After her father left the family at a young age, she was raised as a Christian.

At age 27, she fell in love with a Christian man, who she then married and became pregnant with. She stands accused of apostasy and adultery, despite her defence that she has always been a Christian.

A majority of Sudan’s population is Muslim, and its legal system is governed by Sharia law, under which the punishment for apostasy (leaving the Muslim faith) is death. The children of Muslim fathers are also seen as Muslim in the eyes of the law.

Ibrahim’s sentence has attracted widespread condemnation from organisations and public figures around the world for being a gross violation of religious freedom.

Amnesty International said, “The fact that a woman has been sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion is appalling and abhorrent. Adultery and apostasy are acts which should not be considered crimes at all. It is flagrant breach of international human rights law.”

The Sudanese government has also been accused of using Ibrahim’s case as a distraction from the widespread allegations of corruption that it faces.

The change.org petition can be found here.