Pakistani Christian, sentenced to death for blasphemy, released
Lahore, Pakistan, 30 Nov 2013: It is a day of joy for the Christian community in Pakistan:
the 35 year-old Christian Younis Masih was released on Thursday, with a decision on
behalf of the Court of Appeal in Lahore. Masih was sentenced to death for blasphemy
by a first instance court in Lahore on May 30, 2007. His case was re-opened in September
2012, by some Christian organizations such as "Legal Evangelical Association Development"
. On April 3, Masih was acquitted and was finally released on Thursday. Younis Masih
and his family are still in a hidden place, since, despite being proven innocent,
for the extremists he is guilty of "blasphemy" and could be killed.
Younis
Masih had been languishing in jail since September 10, 2005. He spent a good eight
years of his life in prison before the Court of Appeals confirmed his innocence. Masih
had suffered a heart attack on January 8, 2013."I have four children and I have no
job, no one is helping me. I live with the fear of being killed" said Masih to the
lawyer Mustaq Gill, of LEAD, who followed the case.
Masih recalled two cases
similar to his: that of Rimsha Masih, the mentally disabled girl falsely accused of
blasphemy who now lives in Canada; Asia Bibi, a Christian woman and mother, who was
sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010.Gill tells Fides that "Christians in Pakistan
fear threats, attacks, violence, discrimination and hatred. The law of blasphemy is
always a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads: Their life is not safe even after
their release from prison". "We appeal to our Christian brothers and sisters to pray
for Younis Masih and his family", he concludes. Source: Fides