Miliband Bids for Jailed Teacher's Release

David Miliband has personally reassured the family of jailed British teacher Gillian Gibbons that he is doing "everything he can" to secure her release, it emerged today.

The foreign secretary called Mrs Gibbons' family last night to offer his support for the 54-year-old teacher from Liverpool.

And two British Muslim peers have traveled to Sudan in an effort to secure the teacher's release, a move which the Foreign Office said was separate to their efforts to secure her freedom, but which they described as "very welcome".

The peers, Labor's Lord Ahmed and Conservative Baroness Warsi, made the journey on their own initiative after negotiating with Sudanese officials.

"Analysts believe it would suit the Sudanese government to be seen to be showing mercy in handing her over to a Muslim delegation, instead of appearing to 'give in' to their former colonial masters, the British government," said the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner.

Lord Ahmed and Baroness Warsi met Mrs Gibbons at a secret location in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. They have already met one Sudanese official and hope to meet the Sudanese president later today.

Mrs Gibbons was jailed by a Sudanese court on Thursday for insulting Islam after allowing her class of seven-year-olds to name a teddy bear Muhammed.

Her son said she is "bearing up very well". Speaking outside his Liverpool home this morning, Mr Gibbons, 27, said he had spoken to his mother and told her the family missed her and loved her.

"We're all in touch with each other and I spoke to my mum," he said. Referring to his sister he added: "We both feel a lot better about speaking to my mum.

"It was nice to hear her voice. She's bearing up very well. She sounded strong. I'm hoping to speak to her again today."

He added that Mrs Gibbons did not want the situation to spark "resentment" towards Muslims.

Disclosing her first reaction to her jail sentence, he quoted her as saying: "I don't want any resentment towards Muslim people".

He added: "She doesn't want people using her and her case as something to stoke up resentment towards anyone, towards Sudanese people, towards Muslim people or whatever.

"You know, that's not the type of person she is, that's not what she wants."

There are no plans for the family to travel to Sudan, Mr Gibbons said, as they hope the situation will be resolved soon.

Mrs Gibbons was yesterday moved to a secret location for her own safety after thousands of weapon-wielding protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Khartoum to demand a harsher sentence.

The perceived leniency incensed Sudan's hard-line Muslim clerics - described as "hot heads" by one Sudanese official.

Massing in central Martyrs Square for an hour, the hordes burned pictures of Mrs Gibbons and chanted: "Shame, shame on the UK," and "No tolerance: Execution," and "Kill her, kill her by firing squad".

Riot police kept the mob, who had been ferried in on pick-up trucks after Friday prayers, from the presidential palace.

Dreadlocked protester Yassin Mubarak, swathed in green and carrying a sword, said: "It is a premeditated action and this unbeliever thinks that she can fool us?

"What she did requires her life to be taken."

Most of the crowd did not believe Mrs Gibbons' claim that she meant no offence to Islam.

During Friday sermons, the Muslim cleric at Khartoum's main Martyrs Mosque denounced Mrs Gibbons, saying she intentionally insulted Islam.

"Imprisoning this lady does not satisfy the thirst of Muslims in Sudan," said cleric Abdul-Jalil Nazeer al-Karouri.

Addressing worshipers, he added: "But we welcome imprisonment and expulsion.

"This is an arrogant woman who came to our country, cashing her salary in dollars, teaching our children hatred of our Prophet Muhammad."

Mrs Gibbons was moved from the Omdurman women's prison near Khartoum, said her chief lawyer Kamal al-Gizouli shortly after visiting her to discuss the verdict. She is eight days away from being deported to the UK.

He said: "They moved this lady from the prison department to put her in other hands and in other places to cover her and wait until she completes her imprisonment period."

Adding that she was in good health, he said: "They want by hook or by crook to complete these nine days without any difficulties which would have an impact on their foreign relationship."