15 days jail for British teacher

A British teacher has been sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation over the naming of a teddy bear, her lawyer said.Gillian Gibbons has been found guilty by a court in Sudan of insulting religion and inciting hatred for allowing her primary school pupils to name a class teddy bear Muhammad.The 54-year-old was arrested on Sunday after an office assistant at Unity High School laid a complaint with the Sudanese Ministry of Education.The court in Khartoum could have ordered Mrs Gibbons, 54, to receive 40 lashes for committing the offences.A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are extremely disappointed with the verdict and the Foreign Secretary has summoned the Sudanese ambassador to explain the decision."School director Robert Boulos told reporters that Mrs Gibbons would only serve 10 days as she had already spent five days in prison. He said: "It's a very fair verdict. She could have had six months and lashes and a fine, and she only got 15 days and deportation."The school would not appeal against the decision, he added.Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials International, said Mrs Gibbons' punishment was still "harsh".She said: "It was a very speedy justice process. Although she has been found guilty of all the counts of causing offence, she has thankfully not been subjected to 40 lashes.""Having said this, 15 days in a Sudanese prison for an innocent misunderstanding is a serious and harsh punishment indeed."Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain branded the decision a "gross overreaction from Sudanese authorities".He said: "This case should have required only simple common sense to resolve. It is unfortunate that the Sudanese authorities were found wanting in this most basic of qualities."They grossly overreacted in this sad affair. Gillian should never have been arrested, let alone charged and convicted of committing a crime. We hope that Gillian will be able to return home without much further delay."© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

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ITN | November 29, 2007

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