Nearly a day after her release, Christian Sudanese woman Mariam Ibrahim was stopped again by Sudanese officials before her final departure from Sudan.
According to CNN, Mariam Ibrahim, her American husband Daniel Wani, and their two children were stopped at Khartoum airport and promptly questioned.
Fox News reports that there has been massive confusion and contradictory information regarding the details of the report. Was the entire family detained? Was anyone arrested?
Fox News also reports that a member of Ibrahim’s legal team, al-Sharif Ali, said national security force personnel arrested Mariam Ibrahim in a forceful manner.
Despite those claims, Department of State spokeswoman Marie Harf was told Ibrahim was not arrested. She also said the Sudanese government — the same government that sentence Ibrahim to death and made her give birth to her daughter with her legs in chains — assured their safety.
“The State Department has been informed by the Sudanese government that the family was temporarily detained at the airport for several hours by the government for questioning over issues related to their travel, and I think travel documents,” Harf said. “They have not been arrested. The government has assured us of their safety.”
The Sudanese government claims that Ibrahim and her family were detained because of issues with their travel documents. Ibrahim allegedly had South Sudanese travel documents despite not being a citizen of South Sudan. According to the Sudanese authorities, that is illegal.
Ibrahim previously faced several charges, including adultery. In Sudan, it is illegal for a Muslim woman to marry outside her religion. Ibrahim claimed she was never Muslim, but raised as a Christian by her mother. After refusing to renounce her Christian faith, Ibrahim was charged with apostasy and sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging.
The family’s legal team is working to ensure their final release so they make their way to American soil.
“The State Department is engaging directly with Sudanese officials to secure their safe and swift departure from Sudan,” Harf said.