The Lawyers of the Sudanese girl who was sentenced to death for killing her husband as he attempted to rape her said that their petition to appeal her sentence has reached one million signatures.

The death sentence was handed down by a Sudanese court 15 days ago. Since then, 19-year-old Noura Hussein’s case grabbed international attention.

The petition was signed by many high-profile figures, including model Naomi Campbell, actors Mira Sorvino, Emma Watson and Rose McGowan, and Julia Gillard, the former Australian prime minister.

Women’s rights activists also launched a campaign on social media with the hashtag “Justice for Noura,” where they shared photos of her and demanded a fair trial.

Noura, who is currently being held in prison in the city of Omdurman, told The Guardian ahead of her appeal: “When I get out of here, I want to study law to defend other oppressed people.”

The teen was just 16 when she was forced to marry her husband. He was chosen for her by her dad and was much older than her. After fleeing home and taking refuge in her aunt’s house, her family tricked her into going back home and handed her over to her husband’s family.

Her supporters - including the activist group Equality Now - say that Noura was raped by her husband just six days after marrying him. His brother and another relative assisted him with the rape.

Noura stabbed her husband to death when he attempted to rape her the following day. She told her parents what had happened, before they handed her over to the police.