Meriam could face an entirely new hearing that could delay her departure by weeks or months.She faces forgery charges that relate to the documents she used to try and flee Sudan and could be brought before a judge again.Meriam's lawyer Shareif Ali Shareif told MailOnline:
'Her brother [Al Samani Al Hadi] has launched a new petition to the family court to prove that Meriam is his sister. 'He does not want Meriam to travel to Sudan.'He asked the court to rule that Meriam is his sister. This would give him a legal right over her.
'But he does not have the authority to demand this right – it is only a father or a mother that can demand this legal status. 'He is doing this to prevent Meriam from travelling outside of Sudan. 'Meriam has not been officially informed of this latest move. She has not been interviewed and has not appeared in court. 'We [Meriam's legal team] are aware of the new legal process but we have not received any documents as yet.'
Meriam's family history is complicated and it appears Al Hadi was part of the second family that her father started after he left her mother.
She claims never to have met him in her life and his motives for interfering in her life seem somewhat murky.
Shareif told MailOnline that Meriam still has to deal with the forgery allegations before she is free to leave Sudan and move in with Daniel, a biochemist who lives in Manchester, New Hampshire. A hearing is set for Thursdsay but what happens after that is unclear.
