Sudanese woman re-arrested on Monday has been freed again

KHARTOUM, Sudan, June 24 (UPI) -- Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian woman sentenced to death for apostasy who was freed Monday and then re-arrested, has once again been freed.

Ibrahim, her American citizen husband, and two small children were detained at the airport in Sudan on Monday as they tried to depart for the U.S hours after her release from prison, where she had been sentenced to death for apostasy.

U.S. Department of State deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said that the Sudanese government had confirmed Ibrahim and her family had been released and that the U.S. government was working to ensure their safe passage to the United States.

"They were temporarily detained for several hours over questions related to their documents," Harf said Tuesday at the daily press briefing.

A member of Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the BBC that Ibrahim had attempted to travel on South Sudanese papers with a U.S. visa. Ministry official Abdullahi Alzareg said that Ibrahim would need to obtain a passport and exit visa prior to travel.