A Sudanese Pregnant Woman To Be Flogged To Death For 'Crime' Of Marrying A Christian Man

A Sudanese court gave a 27-year-old woman who is eight-months pregnant with her second child, until Thursday to abandon her newly adopted Christian faith and return to Islam or face a death sentence. Mariam Yahya Ibrahim was charged with apostasy as well as adultery for marrying a Christian man, something prohibited for Muslim women to do and which makes the marriage void.

The final ruling will be announced on later today. Ibrahim's case was the first of its kind to be heard in Sudan. On February 7, 2014, Meriam was arrested, with her 20-month-old son, and put in a women's prison. She had not been charged nor did she receive a fair trial. A relative had turned her in to the police for marrying a Christian. According to the Sudan's Public Order Criminal Code. Meriam is a Muslim by default because she was born in Sudan. Thus, her marriage to a Christian is a criminal act.

On March 4th, Meriam was charged with adultery and apostasy. The adultery charge came with a punishment of 100 lashes. The apostasy charge came with a punishment of death. As it stands, Meriam will be put to death following the birth of her second child.