Recent releases could be good sign for jailed mother of five, Pakistan’s first woman sentenced to death for blasphemy.
ICC Note: Asia Bibi, a Christian mother, was sentenced to death by hanging in November 2010 for allegedly insulting Mohammad. Though she remains in prison, the recent acquittal of Barkat Masih has given some organizations hope that Asia may also soon be released.
By Melissa Steffan
2/07/2013 Pakistan (CT) -After being accused of blasphemy and spending 18 months in prison, a second Pakistani Christian has been acquitted by the nation’s Supreme Court and released.
Advocacy group World Vision In Progress (WVIP), which defended Barkat Masih during his trial, reports that Masih finally has been released. Masih, a Christian who converted from Hinduism, was accused of blasphemy in late 2011 and has been held in prison since that time.
“‘Masih could easily have received the death penalty,'” a WVIP official told BosNewsLife. “‘However presiding Judge Javed Ahmedon of the Bahawalpur court declared [Masih] innocent.'”
And that rare decision—which comes on the heels of 14-year-old Rimsha Masih’s acquittal in January—could be good news for Asia Bibi.
In 2010, Bibi was the first woman sentenced to death under Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy law. However, she is still being held while she awaits an appeals hearing more than two years later.
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