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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Blasphemy |
Sentence: |
Death |
Years Imprisoned: |
9.33 |
Year Crime: |
2009 |
Year Convicted: |
2010 |
Year Cleared: |
2018 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Pakistan |
County or Region of Crime: |
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City of Crime: |
Lahore |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Asia Bibi aka Aasiya Noreen was wrongly convicted in November 2010 of committing blasphemy in June 2009 in Lahore, Pakistan. Bibi, a Christian mother of four, was prosecuted based on the accusation of two Muslim women that she insulted Mohammad when Bibi was getting water for her fellow farm workers. The Muslims said they wouldn't drink water defiled by a non-Muslim and demanded that she convert to Islam. She refused. During her trial Bibi's defense was she and the women argued over her converting to Islam, but she didn't disrespect Mohammad. Several eyewitnesses testified that the women were arguing. The two accusers denied arguing with Bibi. After her conviction Bibi was sentenced to death by hanging. Bibi's case caused a lot of division in Pakistan among Muslims. Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, was shot and killed by one of his guards in 2011 for defending Bibi and criticising the misuse of the blasphemy law. In October 2014 her conviction and sentence were affirmed by the Lahore High Court. Pakistan's Supreme Court accepted review of her case and stayed her sentence. On October 31, 2018 Pakistan's Supreme Court overturned Bibi's conviction on the basis the prosecution failed to prove her guilt because of the conflicting trial testimony. She was ordered released after eight years on death row. The Court, in its ruling, affirmed the legality of the blasphemy law." |
Conviction Caused By: |
Unreliable testimony by the prosecution's key witnesses. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"On October 31, 2018 Pakistan's Supreme Court overturned Bibi's conviction on the basis the prosecution failed to prove her guilt because of the conflicting trial testimony. She was ordered released after eight years on death row." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
38 |
Age When Released: |
47 |
Sex: |
Female |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Other |
Information Source 1: |
"Death Penalty Pardon: Why was Asia Bibi’s death penalty conviction overturned, does Pakistan have capital punishment and what is blasphemy?, By Nicola Stow, The Sun (London), Oct. 31, 2018" |
Information Location 1: |
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7628500/asia-bibi-death-penalty-conviction-overturned-pakistan/ |
Information Source 2: |
"Pakistan acquits Asia Bibi, Christian woman facing death for blasphemy, By Zarar Khan and Munir Ahmed (The Associated Press), GlobalNews.ca, October 31, 2018" |
Information Location 2: |
https://globalnews.ca/news/4614177/asia-bibi-christian-woman-blasphemy-pakistan/ |
Information Source 3: |
"Pakistan’s Top Court Acquits First Christian Woman Sentenced to Death For ‘Blaspheming’ Mohammed, By Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews.com, October 31, 2018" |
Information Location 3: |
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/pakistans-top-court-acquits-first-christian-woman-sentenced-death |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org