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The 27-year-old Sudanese woman who was sentenced to death for marrying a Christian is now seeking shelter in the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum. Meriam Ibrahim had been sentenced to hang for apostasy last month under a law forbidding Muslims to convert or marry Christian men. Awaiting her punishment, she gave birth to a baby girl while shackled in her jail cell.
Under massive international pressure, Ibrahim was released from jail on Monday. But her saga didn't end there—she was detained on Tuesday after trying to leave the country for the U.S., where her husband is a citizen. On Thursday, she was released from custody under the condition of staying in Sudan. The Sudanese government claims her paperwork was falsified and she would be able to leave only with proper documentation. Ibrahim was charged with forgery, even though the South Sudanese embassy that issued the papers say they are genuine.
The U.S. State Department says it has met with Sudanese foreign ministry to make clear Ibrahim be able "to depart as swiftly as possible from Sudan." Now, according to her lawyer, she taken refuge under U.S. protection.