Meriam fled on forged passport say police

SUDANESE police have accused a Christian woman acquitted of apostasy of trying to flee on a forged passport less than 48 hours after an appeal court overturned her death sentence.

In what appears to be a power struggle between rival branches of the Khartoum government, agents from the National Intelligence and Security Service seized Meriam Ibrahim at Khartoum airport on Tuesday and took her to a police station in the capital.

Ibrahim, 27, attracted international attention when, at 81⁄ months pregnant, she was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery and death by hanging for renouncing Islam. She gave birth to a daughter, Maya, while shackled inside the Omdurman women’s prison.

Her conviction was overturned in a ruling by the appeal court which took her lawyers and husband, Daniel Wani, by surprise. He said they had been on their way to Washington DC when they were stopped. ‘‘We are worried. That’s why we want to get out of here as soon as possible.’’

They had spent one night in a safe house in Khartoum because lawyers said Ibrahim’s life was in danger.

She was then escorted to Khartoum airport in an American embassy car, with a valid South Sudanese passport, which had a visa to let her enter the United States, her lawyers said.

‘‘My signature is on the back of the document,’’ said Kau Nak, the charge d’affaires at the South Sudan embassy.

Ibrahim’s lawyers said the passport and visa were ‘‘officially issued from the South Sudanese embassy and the US embassy’’.

Wani is an American citizen. Friends said that Ms Ibrahim hoped to claim asylum or assume her husband’s dual nationality. The US state department said that Khartoum had assured it of the family’s safety.

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa said Ibrahim was facing four charges relating to falsifying documents and impersonation.

‘‘She will be released on bail, but she will probably still be charged and will face trial,’’ an official said.

Ibrahim was being held with her first-born son, Martin, 21 months, and Maya.

The British charity Redress, which worked to lodge an appeal with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, has reported that the secret police torture with impunity.