Asia Bibi comes final free

The constitutional court in Pakistan has had his acquittal for the persecuted Christian, Asia Bibi, to maintain, and thus the way for the departure of the 51-year-old mother of four children paved. "We are not to roll up the case again," said the presiding judge Asif Saeed Khosa during a hearing in Islamabad. He rejected a appeal by the Pakistani government, under pressure from Islamists, was approved.

in The case of Bibi triggered in the autumn of unrest, because radical Islamic groups have demanded that a Christian had to be brought in spite of the acquittal, to the gallows. Protesters rioted, blocked roads and demanded that an earlier death would have to be to get a judgment against Bibi in an upright position. The government bowed to the protests by making a statement that a legally questionable Petition to the court. Accordingly, the court should review the procedure once again. With this request, the judges have worked well on Tuesday and rejected him.

Malicious allegations

"I'm really grateful that after nine years, it was confirmed that I am free and that I'm going to hug my daughters," had quoted a friend of the woman after her acquittal, the state had to hide, but for the time being, in a secret place, to protect them from violent Attacks. The mother of four children, had been accused in 2009 after a dispute among neighbors of blasphemy. Women from her village, accusing them of insulting the prophet, a court sentenced then in the fall of 2010 to death. Since then, she had to fear for their lives, although the process was from the beginning very questionable.

Until 2018, the top judges of the country were that there was no evidence of Bibi's fault, you exposed malicious allegations and false statements in the earlier proceedings. Human rights activists welcomed on Tuesday the re-affirmation of acquittal. "The government must now allow, together with your family in a country of your choice to leave," urged Amnesty International. Given the anger, the Islamist groups sparked against the woman, it is extremely risky to stay with your family in Pakistan. Several European States and Canada have signalled a willingness to accept them, but initially remained unclear when you can leave the country.

the judge in danger to life

Bibi's lawyer, Saiful Malook, who had fled in the autumn to Europe, had decided at the beginning of the week to Islamabad to return to represent his client in the courtroom. As the newspaper "Express Tribune" and "Dawn" reported, made judge Asif Saeed Khosa significantly, the questionable witness were statements that were meant to justify the death sentence. And then he asked the question in the room: "Say, Islam, for example, that you should be punished, if the crime is not proved?" Those who doubted the justice and the persecution of the woman and the judge called, had not read the judgment of the fall, criticized Khosa. To mix truth and falsehood in the name of the prophet, is also a Form of God, cussing, complaining of the judges.

Not only Bibi, but also the judge, living in danger, after the Islamist leader, declared in the autumn that the lawyers deserved because of the acquittal, the death. The blasphemy law in Pakistan, which makes the insult of the prophet under death penalty, international has attracted criticism because it will be misused for political purposes and Islamist groups is used to justify the persecution of religious minorities.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 30.01.2019, 06:24 PM