Breaking: Pakistani Supreme Court Stays the Execution of Asia Bibi

FreeAsiaBibiPakistani journalists are tweeting that Asia Bibi’s execution has been stayed. See below:


Ajmal Jami is a correspondent for Dunyan News.
I will add details and additional confirmation as it becomes available. Here is another news report about the stay of execution. And this from Dawn News also confirms the news. It doesn’t appear that Bibi is completely out of the woods but she has a stay on her sentence as of now.


For background, see this link
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Prayers for Asia Bibi; Appeal Set for July 22

FreeAsiaBibiAccording to this Christian Today report, Christian housewife and mother Asia Bibi has one more chance for freedom. See also this report from the British-Pakistani Christian Association which provided the basis for the CT report.
Even if she is released, there are reports of a $5000 bounty for her life.
I recall many efforts to secure her freedom, from a British legislator to the mayor of Paris to the Pope.
Islamabad, Pakistan is nine hours ahead of us so it will be Wednesday very soon. Join me in praying for Bibi’s release and safety.

Asia Bibi Near Death

FreeAsiaBibiI have written about Asia Bibi on several occasions. Bibi is a Pakistani Christian mother of five who was convicted of blasphemy against Mohammad and sentenced to death. She has been dying a slow death in a Pakistani prison while Pakistan’s government has turned a deaf ear to many calls for her release.
News reports suggest she is very ill and will die if she does not receive medical care.
There have been multiple petition drives (I count eight on Change.org) and calls from political (e.g., mayor of Paris) and religious leaders (e.g., the Pope) to free Bibi.
It is galling to know that the U.S. gives billions of tax payer dollars to Pakistan while that nation regularly violates human rights.
If ever the State Department was ever going to make an another effort to pressure Pakistan, now would be the time.
 
 

Final Appeal Filed on Behalf of Asia Bibi

Today in Pakistan, an appeal was filed to Pakistan’s Supreme Court on behalf of Asia Bibi.
The Christian mother of five is hoping to be cleared of blasphemy charges via this appeal and/or to receive a pardon and perhaps find refuge in France.

A Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy filed an appeal in the country’s top court Monday, her final legal recourse after being found guilty of insulting the Prophet Mohammed four years ago.

A high court in the eastern city of Lahore confirmed the death sentence of Asia Bibi last month, dashing hopes the conviction might be overturned or commuted to a jail term.

She has been on death row since November 2010 after being convicted of insulting the prophet of Islam during an argument with a Muslim woman over a bowl of water.

“On behalf of Asia Bibi I have today filed an appeal in the Supreme Court,” defence attorney Saiful Malook told AFP.

Please click this link to sign a petition to the President of Pakistan asking for a pardon for Asia Bibi.

Legal Maneuvers In the Case of Asia Bibi

Asif Aqeel, writing for World Watch Monitor, explains some of the recent legal maneuvers in the case of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian mother of five who has been charged with blasphemy. She was sentenced to death and has one more appeal to the Pakistani Supreme Court.
There is a very helpful history of the case and a summary of the efforts of the courts to make it harder to achieve blasphemy convictions. Her hopes appear to be a change in evidence requirements or a pardon from the President.

The appeals judges now explain they had no choice, given the way Pakistan’s laws are written, and have turned to lawmakers to craft legislation that would empower trial courts to apply a test that would make future blasphemy convictions much more difficult to achieve.  That test was not in place when Noreen, popularly known as Asia Bibi, was tried.

Bibi has been offered refuge in Paris, France.
Please sign and spread the word about the petition directly to the President of Pakistan to free Asia Noreen Bibi.