A mother sentenced to death in Sudan for “renouncing Islam” and marrying a Christian husband has filed for an appeal citing procedural errors in the original trial, according to Al-Jazeera.
Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag was sentenced to death on May 15, in accordance with Sharia law. Sharia law outlaws Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men – and outlaws conversion under pain of death.
Ishag, who has refused to renounce her faith, also gave birth to a baby girl last week. The Associated Press obtained a video that shows that, in the meantime, she is well enough; she looked “happy and relaxed” as she sat breastfeeding her newborn beside her 18-month-old son Martin, reporters said.
Born to a Muslim father, Ishag has insisted that she herself is not guilty of “apostasy,” as she is not Muslim; she maintains that her Muslim father left when she was young and that she was raised a Christian by her Ethiopian mother, who is an Orthodox Christian.
According to the British Telegraph, she even produced a marriage certificate as evidence that she had not committed adultery, and called three witnesses from her home town to testify to her lifelong adherence to Christianity.
Sharia court ultimately disagreed, and sentenced her to death and 100 lashes for “adultery.” The death sentence is not due to be carried out until 2016.