ICC Note: In a new letter written to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, two Senators are calling on the Obama Administration to assist Meriam Ibrahim, the 27-year-old Christian mother who has been sentenced to death in Sudan for the crime of “apostasy.” The letter calls on the State Department and Homeland Security to coordinate their efforts closely on the case and also urges the administration to respond to human rights abuses committed against Saeed Abedini, a US citizen and pastor currently imprisoned in Iran. The letter is a follow up to a previous letter asking Secretary Kerry to grant political asylum to Meriam Ibrahim. Learn everything you need to know regarding Meriam’s case here.
5/21/2014 United States (Office of Senator Blunt) – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) sent a follow-up letter to John Kerry, Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, and Jeh Johnson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), calling on the Obama Administration to help the pregnant wife of an American citizen who is facing a death sentence in Sudan.
Meriam Ibrahim has been imprisoned along with her 20-month-old son since February. Blunt and Ayotte previously sent a letter to Kerry on May 16, 2014.
“Due to the nature of this case, it is critical that there is clarity between your Departments regarding the status of the family and their previous requests for assistance from the United States,” the Senators wrote. “Any gaps in communication between the Departments during this time are simply unacceptable.”
Blunt and Ayotte also noted that “American citizen Saeed Abedini had been beaten and taken back to prison in Iran.” The Senators urged the Obama Administration, “The U.S. must respond urgently to these grave human rights abuses. We continue to respectfully request that you, along with the Administration, utilize all resources available to secure freedom for Meriam and her son.”
To read the letter in its entirety, please click here.
Interested in raising your voice #ForMeriam? Sign ICC’s petition!
