Christian woman will appeal blasphemy conviction to Pakistan's supreme court

October 21, 2014

An attorney for Asia Bibi has confirmed that the Pakistani woman, who has been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, will appeal the verdict to the country’s supreme court.

“I have a very strong case,” attorney Naeem Shakir told CNN. He expressed confidence that the supreme court would overturn last week’s appeals-court judgment that confirmed Bibi’s sentence.

Shakir observed that prosecutors have no hard evidence against Bibi; the case depends entirely on the testimony of neighbors with whom the young Christian woman had quarreled. The appeals-court decision was denounced by Human Rights Watch as a “disgrace to Pakistan’s judiciary.”

Haroon Barkat Masih, the director of a foundation that defends Pakistani Christians against blasphemy charges, said that pressure from militant Muslims makes it difficult to achieve justice in the case. “Too many vested interests and too much pressure tha, in the end, cover up the truth of the facts,” he told the Fides news service.

Although he was not optimistic about the prospects for victory at the supreme court, Masih pointed out that the president of Pakistan would have the authority to grant a pardon to Asia Bibi. He said that “international pressures and mobilization can be useful” in that respect.

 

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Further information:

• Condemned Christian woman to take blasphemy case to top Pakistani court (CNN)
• Too many interests behind Asia Bibi’s case: the truth of the facts are covered up (Fides)
• Pakistani court affirms Christian woman's death sentence for blasphemy (CWN, 10/16)