ICC Note:

The ACLJ and other groups have called on Christians to raise their voices and support Asia Bibi, a Christian mother on death row in Pakistan for allegedly committing blasphemy. Earlier this week, news broke that Bibi’s final Supreme Court appeal would be heard in the second week of October. This appeal represents Bibi’s final chance to avoid execution through Pakistan’s court system. The allegation against Bibi originates from dispute with Muslim coworkers back in 2009. Like many blasphemy cases, Bibi’s conviction is based on poor evidence and religious discrimination. Will this Supreme Court appeal finally be the first time Bibi’s case is heard on the merits?  

8/26/2016 Pakistan (Christian Post) – The American Center for Law and Justice and other groups are calling on Christians to raise up their voices to support Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five whose death sentence appeal will be heard by Pakistan’s Supreme Court in October.

Bibi was sentenced to death in 2010 on allegations of blasphemy after two co-workers accused her of insulting the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court set a date in October for her final appeal hearing to determine whether she will be executed or not.

The ACLJ is urging Christians to sign a petition, which has over 417,000 signatures as of Thursday morning, describing Bibi’s case as the “ultimate human rights violation,” and calls for her release.

The conservative law group said that the European Centre for Law and Justice’s affiliate in Pakistan, the Organization for Legal Aid, was able to speak with the Christian mother’s attorney, who confirmed the October date for the hearing.

“Normally it takes about three to five years for a case to come up for a hearing before the Supreme Court. But since the petition for early hearing was granted, the case will be forwarded to the court’s registrar to set the date,” the ACLJ explained.

The hearing will be crucial, as it will decide whether Bibi will be put to death, which would be the first legal execution in Pakistan over a blasphemy case.

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