President has power to pardon jailed teacher

KHARTOUM – Only Sudan’s president has the power to pardon a British teacher sentenced to 15 days imprisonment for insulting Islam, said the justice minister yesterday as British Muslim parliamentarians pushed to meet the Sudanese leader.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Lord Nazir Ahmed of the House of Lords moved into a second day of meetings with officials early in the morning Sunday with an eventual goal of obtaining a pardon for Gillian Gibbons from President Omar al-Bashir. “Any early pardon would be the exclusive prerogative of the president, I can’t talk any more about it,” said Justice Minister Ali al-Mardhi to the Associated Press, adding that he had only just returned from a meeting in Cairo the night before and had yet to meet with the British delegation.Gibbons’ chief lawyer, Kamal al-Gizouli, was optimistic on Sunday for the chances of the British delegation to secure the teacher’s release, in part because the whole affair has become an international embarrassment to the government.”They want to get rid of the problem and the visit of the British lords would be a good opportunity,” he said.”This case is a headache for the government, I would not be surprised if Gibbons was released today or tomorrow.”No government official, however, has made any kind of hint about an early release and members of the president’s entourage were not available for comment on Sunday.The British embassy, meanwhile, said that Gibbons was in good health.”The ambassador called on Miss Gibbons this morning and she was fine,” said Omar Daair, embassy spokesman in Khartoum.He did not give any further details.Late on Saturday, Britain’s Channel 4 News also quoted Gibbons, as saying in a statement from police custody that she was being treated well.Nampa-AP”Any early pardon would be the exclusive prerogative of the president, I can’t talk any more about it,” said Justice Minister Ali al-Mardhi to the Associated Press, adding that he had only just returned from a meeting in Cairo the night before and had yet to meet with the British delegation.Gibbons’ chief lawyer, Kamal al-Gizouli, was optimistic on Sunday for the chances of the British delegation to secure the teacher’s release, in part because the whole affair has become an international embarrassment to the government.”They want to get rid of the problem and the visit of the British lords would be a good opportunity,” he said.”This case is a headache for the government, I would not be surprised if Gibbons was released today or tomorrow.”No government official, however, has made any kind of hint about an early release and members of the president’s entourage were not available for comment on Sunday.The British embassy, meanwhile, said that Gibbons was in good health.”The ambassador called on Miss Gibbons this morning and she was fine,” said Omar Daair, embassy spokesman in Khartoum.He did not give any further details.Late on Saturday, Britain’s Channel 4 News also quoted Gibbons, as saying in a statement from police custody that she was being treated well.Nampa-AP