Thursday, July 24, 2014

Free At Last! : Meriam Ibrahim, Woman Put On Death Row Arrives In Italy, Meets Pope Francis

samizares 8:24 AM Pope Francis No comments :

Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian mother put on death row for refusing to reject Christianity has now arrived Italy, ending an almost year-long ordeal that triggered outrage around the world.

The State Department has been negotiating with Sudanese officials to secure the family's safe passage out of the country. She, her American husband and two young children, eventually fled Sudan on Thursday and arrived at Rome's Ciampino airport accompanied by Italy’s vice minister of foreign affairs, officials told NBC News.They had been sheltered at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum for almost a month.

Ibrahim was heavily pregnant when she was jailed in February after a member of the Muslim side of her family told authorities she had recently converted from Islam to marry her Christian husband. She was sentenced to death and 100 lashes after she refused to renounce Christianity when given the opportunity in court. She was forced to take her 20-month-old son into her cell and gave birth to her second child, Maya, while her legs were in shackles.

Meriam Ibrahim, flew into Italy this morning in company of her husband Daniel Wani and their two children Martin and Maya and they met with Pope Francis at Casa Santa Martath inside the Vatican. According to the head of the Vatican Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, the meeting took place in a 'very serene and affectionate' environment, and Pope Francis thanked Meriam for her 'courageous witness to perseverance in the Faith.' Fr. Lombardi said Meriam thanked the Pope for his prayers, saying they provided great support and encouragement to her during her ordeal. See more photos as they met below....