On Wednesday, the Pakistani Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi from charges. Asia Bibi is a Christian who was sentenced to  by hanging in November 2010 and remained in confinement on death row for the past eight years awaiting a final decision, reportedly much of it in solitary confinement. In 2009, two  women accused Bibi of defaming Islamic prophet . Bibi was arrested under 295-C of the after local cleric Qari Mohammad Salaam registered a formal complaint against Bibi. Blasphemy against Islam is punishable by death or by life imprisonment. Bibi's case was appealed in the Supreme Court after Lahori High Court upheld her conviction in 2014. The verdict of Bibi's case was welcomed by  . South Asia director deputy Omar Waraich said, "Justice has finally prevailed. The message must go out that the blasphemy laws will no longer be used to persecute the country's most vulnerable minorities". Christians account for about one and a half percent of the population of Pakistan. In 2010, then Catholic Pope  called for Bibi's release.
On Wednesday, the Pakistani Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi from charges. Asia Bibi is a Christian who was sentenced to death by hanging in November 2010 and remained in confinement on death row for the past eight years awaiting a final decision, reportedly much of it in solitary confinement. In 2009, two Muslim women accused Bibi of defaming Islamic prophet . Bibi was arrested under 295-C of the after local cleric Qari Mohammad Salaam registered a formal complaint against Bibi. Blasphemy against Islam is punishable by death or by life imprisonment. Bibi's case was appealed in the Supreme Court after Lahori upheld her conviction in 2014. The verdict of Bibi's case was welcomed by Amnesty International . South Asia director deputy Omar Waraich said, "Justice has finally prevailed. The message must go out that the blasphemy laws will no longer be used to persecute the country's most vulnerable minorities". Christians account for about one and a half percent of the population of Pakistan. In 2010, then Catholic Pope Benedict XVI called for Bibi's release.
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death
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Muslim
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High Court
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Amnesty International
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Benedict XVI