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Meriam Ibrahim speaks out for first time since release

Meriam Ibrahim was found guilty of apostasy and jailed before eventually being released in late June following intense international pressure.

The 27-year-old is now living in the US with her husband Daniel and two children, one of whom she gave birth to while she was in prison.

Speaking to Fox News, she said authorities gave her three days to convert to Islam or face death.

She said imams had visited her every day and read her passages from the Koran in a bid to force her to become a Muslim.

"While I was in prison, some people came to visit me from the Muslim Scholars' Association," she said.

"These were imams that created an intervention by reciting parts of the Koran for me. I faced a tremendous amount of pressure.

"I had my trust in God.

"My faith was the only weapon that I had in these confrontations with imams and Muslim scholars, because that's what I believe.

"I was supposed to give birth at a hospital outside of prison but they denied that request as well.

"When it was time to give birth, they refused to remove the chains from my ankles. So I had to give birth with chains on my ankles."

When she was finally able to leave Sudan, Ms Ibrahim flew to Rome to meet Pope Francis.

She added: "I would never leave my faith.

"If you don't have faith you are not alive.

"I put my life at risk for the women of Sudan and for Christians [who] live under difficult circumstances; persecuted and treated harshly. There are many Meriams in Sudan and throughout the world."

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