Supreme court of Pakistan Wednesday overturned the sentence against the mother of Christian women Asia Bibi, who in 2010 was sentenced to death by hanging in connection with the accusation of insulting the prophet Muhammad, RIA Novosti reported citing Geo TV.
“She justified. The decisions of the Supreme court (of the city of Lahore — ed.) and the court of first instance cancelled. The charges have been dropped”, — declared the President of the Supreme court of the Republic of Saqib Nisar. The TV channel notes that, in accordance with the verdict, any criminal prosecution against the woman stopped, and she shall be released immediately from prison.
In the summer of 2009 working at the berry Asia Bibi drank water from a Muslim well, and worked with it odnoselchanka accused her that she had polluted the water. Among women there was a dispute on religious subjects, in which Bibi claimed that Christians are “the same people as Muslims.” Later on, Christian was attacked by an angry mob, she was arrested, and in November 2010 a court in Punjab province sentenced her to death under Pakistan blasphemy law. In October 2014 the High court of Lahore has approved the verdict.
The Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill addressed to the former President of Pakistan Mamnun Hussain to pardon Bibi, noting that the execution of the death sentence against this woman would cause “great damage to the Muslim-Christian dialogue.” The commutation and pardon Bibi called the Pope Benedict XVI and other dignitaries of the Roman Catholic Church.
The case of Asia Bibi, mother of five children, has provoked a wide response both in Pakistan and beyond. Minister for minorities Shahbaz Bhatti and Governor of Punjab province Salman of Tasir was killed after he expressed disagreement with the blasphemy laws and urged to pardon the convicted.