The brother of the Sudanese woman who had her death sentence for apostasy overturned by the courts has claimed that she was "kidnapped" as soon as she set foot out of prison.
Meriam Ibrahim walked free on Monday after six months in prison charged with apostasy – abandoning her Islamic faith. She maintains she was never a Muslim in the first place.
The 27-year-old was about to board a flight out of Sudan with her husband and two children on Tuesday, when she was detained once more. Her husband Daniel Wani is an American citizen, and he said they were planning to travel to Washington DC. Sudanese media claimed that the US vice consul was with the family at the airport.
"We are supposed to be there," said Mr Wani, insisting there is nothing wrong with the travel documents. He told AFP: "We are worried. That's why we want to get out of here as soon as possible."
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| Al Samani Al Hadi Mohamed Abdullah Islamic Lunatic or Thief? |
He told Sudan's Al Intibaha newspaper – founded by the uncle of President Omar Bashir – that she should have been shepherded to the family, and not her husband, when she left prison.
"They did not let us know that she was about to be freed," he said. "It was a surprise for us."
Mr Hadi said previously that she should be executed if she does not "return" to what he maintains is their family faith.
He told CNN earlier this month: "It's one of two; if she repents and returns to our Islamic faith and to the embrace of our family, then we are her family and she is ours.
"But if she refuses she should be executed."
His comments poured fuel on the flickering suspicion that the charges were a thinly-disguised family feud, and that Ms Ibrahim's relatives hoped to gain control over her successful businesses.
And he said in the interview, published on Wednesday, that the courts had failed his family by clearing her of all charges.
"Our family is not convinced by the decision of the court. The law has failed to maintain our rights, and now it is a matter of honour. Christians deface our honour, and we know how to take revenge for that." Now, you can't deface what doesn't exist, Mr Hadi, what you call honour is simply pride, a most unbecoming and dishonourable character trait.
The family's lawyer, Abdulrahem Malik, told another regime-supporting newspaper, Al Sudani, that she was "disappeared into a Western embassy" on her release. And he said they were surprised at her attempts to leave the country, because her appeal verdict was not final.
"She has no right to travel outside the country," the lawyer said. "There have been no threats of revenge against her from members of her family, and she has no right to travel by law. I guess he didn't read the above; 'She should be executed', 'it is a matter of honour', 'Christians deface our honour', 'we know how to take revenge for that'. If that's not a threat then I don't know what is.
"The appeals court decision is not final. Only if we do not appeal within 15 days is their ruling upheld."
The American authorities said on Tuesday night that they were confident the family were not in danger.
"The government has assured us of their safety," said Marie Harf, state department spokeswoman. "The embassy has and will remain highly involved in working with the family and the government."
Just make sure you keep them away from her family - who are actually her half-siblings.
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