Sudanese Charg茅 d'Affaires summoned to FCO over death sentence case
Sudan urged to uphold international obligations on freedom of religion or belief following death sentence in apostasy case.
On 15 May Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a young pregnant Sudanese mother, was found guilty by a Sudanese court for allegedly changing her religious faith. At the request of the Foreign Secretary, the Charg茅 d鈥橝ffaires at the Sudanese Embassy in the UK, Mr Bukhari Afandi, was summoned to the Foreign Office today to meet Political Director Simon Gass. The Political Director expressed deep concern at the recent decision to sentence Meriam to death for apostasy and asked the Charg茅 to urge his government to uphold its international obligations on freedom of religion or belief, and to do all it can to get this decision overturned.
In a statement immediately following the court鈥檚 decision, the UK鈥檚 Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds MP described Meriam鈥檚 sentencing as barbaric, and urged the Sudanese Government to respect the right to religion or belief.
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