Meriam Ibrahim and family released on bail

Meriam Ibrahim and her family were released from police custody on bail yesterday at 10pm local time.

Mrs Ibrahim and her husband Daniel Wani had been held together with their children, Martin and Maya at a police station in Khartoum East since Tuesday 24 June.

The couple was charged with forgery and provision of false information under articles 123 and 97 of the 1991 Criminal Code, due to alleged irregularities with her travel documents. Mrs Ibrahim has been charged as the primary accused and her husband Mr Wani has been charged as an accessory to the alleged offences. The initial accusations were levelled by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), which prompted the police investigation.

Mrs Ibrahim and her family were released on bail by guarantee. They are required to attend court for the new charges and remain in the country until the new case is concluded.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “We welcome the fact that Mrs Ibrahim and her family have been released on bail but remain deeply concerned about the weakness of the new charges against her and Mr Wani. Their extended detention, which occurred despite the provision of credible evidence by relevant officials from the South Sudanese embassy that negates every allegation levelled against them, violates Sudan’s criminal procedures as well as article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Sudan is a signatory. We continue to call for these charges to be dropped and urge the Sudanese government to ensure their safety whilst in Sudan.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.