FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN SUDAN

That this House resolutely deplores a Sudanese court's sentencing of Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag to death by hanging for apostasy and 100 lashes for adultery; strongly urges Sudan's legal authorities to immediately and unconditionally overturn Ms. Ishag's sentence; notes the joint statement by the embassies of the US, the UK, Canada and the Netherlands expressing concern over the verdict and calling for the government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion; reminds the government of Sudan of its statutory commitment to the right to freedom of religion, including the right of citizens to peacefully follow the faith of their choice, as a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, under article 38 of Sudan's interim constitution and under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; calls on the government of Sudan to repeal Articles 126 and 146 of the Criminal Code that criminalise apostasy and adultery respectively and to review the entire penal code to ensure other contradictions with the constitution and international commitment are addressed; and anticipates a new constitution that respects Sudan's richly multi-faith and multi-cultural population in which citizens have the right to peacefully follow the faith of their choice without fear of persecution.