A court in Sudan has sentenced a pregnant woman to exeution by hanging for allegedly converting to Christianity from Islam. Under strict interpretations of Sharia law apostasy is punishable by death.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, 27, who was born to a Muslim father but brought up as a Christian by her mother, was given three days by the court to renounce her faith or face the death penalty.

Ms Ibrahim, who is in custody with her 20-month-old son Martin, also faces a sentence of flogging for “adultery” on the grounds that her marriage to a Christian man is considered void under the court’s interpretation of Islamic law. She will be given 100 lashes. Her husband Daniel has not been allowed to visit her in prison. and has been forbidden from caring for Martin.

Mrs Ibrahim, who is eight months pregnant, told the judge “I am a Christian and I never committed apostasy.” Her lawyer said yesterday that she intended to appeal against the decision.

In a joint statement, the embassies of Britain, the United States, Canada and the Netherlands expressed “deep concern” over the case.

“We call upon the government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion, including one’s right to change one’s faith or beliefs,” they said.

A spokesperson for Amnesty International said: “The fact that a woman could be sentenced to death for her religious choice and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion is abhorrent and should never even be considered.”