Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag (L) and her children are photographed after landing at Ciampino Airport (EPA)
The Sudanese woman who was sentenced to death for “apostasy” and made to give birth with her legs chained together in jail has finally escaped the country on an Italian government plane. Meriam Ibrahim and her family arriving at Rome’s Ciampino airport alongside the Italian deputy foreign minister, after her case triggered outrage and condemnation around the world.
The family’s sudden appearance in Italy came as a surprise – not least to her own lawyer Mohaned Mostafa. Ms Ibrahim has been stuck inside the US embassy in Sudan for a month and had been expected to travel at some point to America, where her husband has citizenship.
Pope Francis met the couple at his Vatican residence after the 27-year-old landed at Rome’s Ciampino airport by surprise aboard an official Italian government aircraft with her husband and two young children early Thursday.
She was accompanied by Italy’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, Lapo Pistelli, who flew to Sudan to collect her late on Wednesday, after intense diplomatic negotiations from the Italian government and the Vatican ended her almost year-long ordeal.
Daniel Wani, husband of Meriam, is helped into the airport after arriving in Italy (EPA)
“Today we are happy, this is a day of celebration,” Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said as he greeted Ms Ibrahim and her family with his wife Agnese and Italy’s foreign minister, Federica Mogherini.
“This gesture by Sudan is testimony to the friendship between our country and Italy’s choice to be a protagonist in this event,” said Mr Pistelli.