The woman who was jailed in Sudan for being a Christian finally arrived in the US tonight after her 10 month nightmare amid joyous scenes of jubilation.
Meriam Ibrahim smiled and hugged her supporters as she landed in Manchester, New Hampshire and told a friend: 'Don't cry, I'm here now'.
Friend Maria Ajang said: 'She was so happy. She said: 'I'm so happy to see you guys here'.
'I was crying and she told me don't cry, I'm here'.
Her husband Daniel Wani sobbed uncontrollably and said: 'It's good to be home.
'There's a sense of relief.
'I want to thank everyone who helped get us home'.
Meriam and Daniel walked into the baggage area at 8pm with his brother Gabriel holding their son Martin, 21 months, and a friend holding baby Maya, who was born whilst Meriam was in prison.
A crowd of 30 people including a nun and a number of Sudanese women in traditional African dress turned out at welcome them home holding signs which read: 'Welcome home Ibrahim family - God bless you'.
Meriam hugged and shook them as they broke into chanting, tears streaming from their eyes.
Meriam and her family were shepherded through the airport via a baggage claim area that had been cleared specially for her.
Police and security officers stood by as they walked down a walkway that had been roped off so they could get to the waiting cars.
Family spokesman Matt Cookson said: 'They are exhausted, both mentally and physically'.
Friends said they planned to throw the family a big party to give them a proper welcome home.
The brave mother said she was a little anxious about the new start.
Daniel, a trained chemist, lost his job while in Sudan supporting his wife through her ordeal in prison so they will be reliant on their extended family, at least at first.
Ibrahim, who was imprisoned for apostasy after refusing to renounce her Christian faith, left Rome on Thursday on a flight bound for Philadelphia, according to the campaigner who secured her release.
The mother-of-two, accompanied by husband Daniel, a U.S. citizen, and children Martin and Maya will then change planes to fly to New Hampshire, according to Antonella Napoli, director of Italians for Darfur.
The family of four will start afresh in America in Manchester, the hometown of Daniel’s brother, Gabriel Wani.
They spent the previous week in Rome after being spirited out of Sudan in the dead of night on an Italian state aircraft.
Meriam and baby Maya, who was born while her mother as shackled in prison, were blessed by Pope Francis who thanked her for her courage and praised her ‘courageous witness to faith’.
Pope Francis meets Meriam Ibrahim, from Sudan, with her daughter Maya in her arms, in his Santa Marta residence, at the Vatican on July 24
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