Rimsha Masih trial adjourned. Bishop calls for her acquittal
September 13, 2012: An Islamabad court has adjourned the trial of Rimsha Masih, a
Christian child with mental illness, arrested and imprisoned on charges of blasphemy,
who was not present in court for security reasons. Thursday morning, at a brief hearing,
the judges emphasized that investigators have yet to complete the investigation on
the matter and close the file, which is why they opted for a referral, even if the
date has not yet been decided. The bishop of the capital Msgr. Rufin Anthony, has
launched a new appeal for the release of the girl: "We ask the judges - says the prelate
- for her immediate acquittal" because she has not committed the crime. In fact, experts
say the fate of the girl and the routines of the case will depend very much on the
parallel case against Maulana Khalid Chishti Jadoon, the Islamic religious leader
who mounted false accusations to incriminate the young Christian and hunt the entire
community from the area for seize their properties.
The first hearing of the
trial against the Muslim cleric is scheduled for September 16 and expectations are
already mounting as increasingly it is being seen as linked to the public debate for
the "revision" of the blasphemy laws, which are too often exploited - as in this case
- to target innocent people. A story that could become a "milestone" in the history
of Pakistan and give rise to a change that puts an end to the "abuses" arising from
the "black law". A battle, we recall, for which Shahbaz Bhatti, Catholic Minister
for Minorities massacred by fundamentalists March 2, 2011, and before him, the governor
of Punjab Salman Taseer, who was killed by his bodyguard sacrificed their lives.
Thus
the judges have preferred to adjourn Rimsha Masih's trial, who has been hidden in
a secure location to avoid possible reprisals by the fundamentalist fringe. The court
has granted another day to the police to complete the investigation, and are still
waiting the girls lawyers plea, who have not yet asked for an acquittal. A decision
that has raised some surprise, but it is - most likely - due to the desire to understand
what direction will the prosecution of Khalid Chishti Jadoon will take.
The
Bishop of Rawalpindi / Islamabad Rufin Anthony told AsiaNews, "Pakistan has undergone
a process of Islamization, particularly in terms of the misuse and abuse of the blasphemy
laws contained in section 295-C, an offense that is punishable by death. The use of
this bylaw has creating an environment where some religious fanatics believe that
they are entitled to take law into their own hands. There have been many instances
where the local administration and police have either collude with perpetrators or
have stood by and do nothing to assist the accused, themselves fearing the crowd.
The use of the blasphemy law has become a quick way of resolving disputes arising
from business rivalry, honor disputes, disputes over money and property. Those accused
of blasphemy face the very real threat of assassination whilst on trial or on bail.
There have been many examples of extrajudicial killings, threats to life, revenge
being taken by communities in response to the accusations."
On 7 September,
the judges decreed her release on bail, greeted with satisfaction by Christian leaders
and her family in an interview with our newsagency (see AsiaNews 07/09/2012 "I am
very happy for my daughter's liberation," Rimsha Masih's father tells AsiaNews, and
Paul Bhatti: " joy and satisfaction" for Rimsha Masih's release (on bail)). Her freedom
cost one million rupees (about 9 thousand euro) and any possible refund depends on
the defendant's presence in court at the hearing in which the closure of investigations
will be decreed.