Sudanese Chargé d'Affaires summoned to FCO over death sentence case

LONDON, United-Kingdom, May 19, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- FCO Press Release: Sudanese Chargé 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 Chargé d'Affaires 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 Chargé 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's decision, the UK's Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds MP described Meriam's sentencing as barbaric, and urged the Sudanese Government to respect the right to religion or belief.