Doctor facing death penalty gives birth prematurely in squalid jail in Sudan

The doctor condemned to death in Sudan has given birth in her squalid jail today.

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by Ellie Hooper |
Published on

Meriam Ibrahim is currently in prison, shackled to the floor, after refusing to convert from Christianity to Islam.

She was sentenced to death earlier in May after being found guilty of converting to Christianity and marrying a Christian man, U.S. citizen Daniel Wani.

Meriam gave birth to a daughter today, five days ahead of her due date.

Meriam refuses to renounce her faith

The doctor has bravely said she would rather die than renounce her faith, adding that she could not pretend to believe in something that she didn't just to spare her life.

Speaking with her husband, she told him: 'If they want to execute me then they should go ahead and do it because I'm not going to change my faith.'

Sudan is ruled by Sharia law - which bans citizens from converting from Islam to a different religion. The judge in her case said she would be spared death if she publicly renounced her faith and became a Muslim again, but Meriam refused.

Her husband Daniel has credited his wife with being 'very, very strong. She is stronger than me' throughout the ordeal.

'When they sentenced her to death I broke down and tears were streaming down my eyes. Our lawyers were passing me tissues,' he added.

Meriam has been in prison since February along with her 20-month-old son Martin, and now her newborn daughter.

She is due to face 100 lashes before being put to death by hanging in the next two years.

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