3 March 2026 | Geneva, Switzerland | Jubilee Campaign raises concern with the use of torture against religious prisoner of conscience often in combination with harsh penalties for apostasy, blasphemy or other exercises of freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief during interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture at the UN Human Rights Council.
Jubilee Campaign read the testimony of Mariam Ibraheem, shared first during the IRF Summit, where Sudanese authorities mistreated her in response to her exercising her freedom of conscience and expression during the trial process. In 2014, Sudanese authorities imprisoned and sentenced Mariam Ibraheem to death for apostasy from and 100 lashes for adultery since they considered her marriage to a Christian man null and void. During her detention authorities physically and psychological tortured Mariam for choosing to live according to her conscience, authorities would also directly punish her for what happened during a court hearing:
“If I’m a Muslim girl why can’t I marry a Christian man? […] when I get in a conversation like that with the judge I end up being punished, they chained my hands behind my back even if I’m pregnant and I have to take care of my son, they chain my hands behind my back for three days when I ask questions[…] So it was a very challenging time was a very hard experience.”[1]
Dr. Edwards report focuses on the perspective of survivors and victims of torture and provides an annexed Charter of Rights of Victims and Survivors of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The charter includes a statement recognizing that torture is often linked to broader systems of oppression: “including poverty, gender-based violence, racism, casteism and other forms of discrimination.”
Jubilee Campaign called on the UN Human Rights Council to:
- Prioritise the repeal of anti-apostasy and anti-blasphemy laws, including the 11 countries which sanction the death penalty for real or perceived apostasy/blasphemy from Islam;
- Release religious prisoners of conscience including Sufi singer Yahaya Sharif Aminu in Nigeria, Christian mother Shagufta Kiran in Pakistan and Dia in Libya, Y Quyn Bdap in Vietnam, Said Abdelrazek in Egypt, Christians detained by Houthis in Yemen.
- Hold perpetrators of torture of religious prisoners of conscience accountable.
[1] IRF Summit Free to Choose – Abolish Anti-Conversion Laws and Apostasy Penalties Coalition, 15 July 2021, Witness Testimony by Mariam Ibraheem.
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