Pope Francis praised Mrs Ibrahim for her steadfast witness to Christ, in refusing to renounce her faith, despite facing a death sentence for apostasy against Islam.

The Pontiff spent 30 minutes with Ibrahim, her husband Daniel Wani and their two small children.

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi, SJ, told journalists that the encounter in the Pope's residence was marked by "affection" and "great serenity and joy".

They had "a beautiful conversation", during which the Pope thanked Ibrahim for "her steadfast witness of faith," Fr Lombardi said.

Ms Ibrahim thanked the Pope for the Church's prayers and support during her plight, he added.

The Vatican spokesman said the meeting was a sign of the Pope's "closeness, solidarity and presence with all those who suffer for their faith".

Italy's foreign ministry led negotiations with Khartoum for her to be allowed to leave Sudan.

She arrived in Rome on July 24 aboard an Italian government plane accompanied by her family and Italy's deputy foreign minister, Lapo Pistelli.

Among those organisations which helped with her exit from Sudan was the Italian human rights NGO Italians For Darfur.

Although brought up as a Christian by her Orthodox mother, a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law argues that she is still a Muslim since her father was a Muslim.

A Sudanese court ruled that she had committed apostasy when she married her American husband in 2011.

When she refused to deny her faith in court, she was sentenced to a flogging and death for the crime of "adultery".

During her imprisonment, Ms Ibrahim was forced to give birth to a child while chained to a prison table.

After being released following an appeal, Ms Ibrahim was further detained when trying to leave Khartoum with her family.

Authorities claimed there were problems with travel documents.

Ms Ibrahim planned to travel to New York with her family after a few days in Rome.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Irish Times
• Image: Independent

On June 24, an appeals court overturned Ms Ibrahim's death sentence and she was freed from prison.

But Ms Ibrahim and her family were apprehended at Khartoum Airport and detained, reportedly over issues with travel documents.

Her husband had told media they were trying to get to the United States.

Ms Ibrahim, who had a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Orthodox mother, had been convicted of apostasy and adultery after marrying a Christian man.

She was sentenced to be flogged and hanged.

Ms Ibrahim gave birth to her second child while in prison.

Sudan had come under intense international pressure to have her released.

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Meriam Ibrahim would be "freed within days in line with legal procedure that will be undertaken by the judiciary and the ministry of justice", said Abdullah Alazreg.

But Mrs Ibrahim's lawyer, Mohanned Mustapha, told Al Jazeera that the final decision rested with an appeals court.

This was also the position taken in a foreign ministry clarification.

Mr Mustapha said Mr Alazreg's statement was an attempt to take the heat out of the international coverage of Ms Ibrahim's plight.

It was not so much a genuine reflection of what might happen, the lawyer said.

Ms Ibrahim gave birth to a girl last week in prison, her second child.

The 27-year-old was raised as an Orthodox Christian by her Christian mother.

But a Sudanese judge ruled last month that she should be regarded as Muslim because that had been her father's faith.

Her father abandoned her family when she was a child.

Ms Ibrahim was convicted of adultery and apostasy for marrying a Christian.

She was sentenced to hang, under the Islamic law that has been in place since 1983 and outlaws conversions under pain of death.

Her husband is Daniel Wani, who is a United States citizen.

The court also sentenced her to 100 lashes before she is executed.

The court previously said Ms Ibrahim would be allowed to nurse her baby for two years before the sentence was carried out.

Her case has sparked international outrage and there has been growing pressure on Sudan's government to have her sentence overturned.

An Amnesty International petition attracted more than 200,000 signatures and more than 600,000 people added their name to a separate petition on change.org.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron called Ms Ibrahim's treatment "barbaric" and said it had no place in the modern world.

Her case has sparked debate in the UK as to whether the British government should cut off aid to Sudan.

Sources

• Al Jazeera
• The Guardian
• BBC
• Image: The Telegraph