Munir Masih

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Desecration (of a religious document)
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment (25 years)
Years Imprisoned:	0.83
Year Crime:	2008
Year Convicted:	2010
Year Cleared:	2012
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Pakistan
County or Region of Crime:	Kasur
City of Crime:	Punjab
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Munir Masih and his wife Ruqqiya Bibi were wrongly convicted in Pakistan on March 1, 2010 of desecration of the Qur'an by touching it with unwashed hands in December 2008. For the violation of Pakistan Penal Code Section 295-B, they were sentenced to life in prison, which is 25 years in Pakistan. The couple are Christians, and they were acquitted of blasphemy for allegedly making remarks against the Prophet Muhammad in violation of Pakistan Penal Code Section 295-C, which would have carried a mandatory death sentence. They had been released on bail in January 2009 after a month in jail following their arrest, but they were taken back into custody and began serving their sentence. Munir was released on bail in December 2010 pending the coutcome of their appeal, while Ruqqiya, a mother of six, remained imprisoned. On May 17, 2012 an appeals court acquitted the couple on the basis that the prosecutors failed to prove that they had defiled the Qur'an. Ruqqiya was then released after two years and four months in custody."
Conviction Caused By:	No eyewitness testimony that they violated Pakistan's blasphemy law.
Innocence Proved By:	"On May 17, 2012 an appeals court acquitted the couple on the basis that the prosecutors failed to prove that they had defiled the Qur'an."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	28
Age When Released:	30
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:
Information Source 1:	"Blasphemy conviction overturned in Pakistan, From Compass Direct News, Canada Free Press, May 31, 2012"
Information Location 1:	http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/47046
Information Source 2:	"Husband, wife get 25 years for allegedly touching Koran without washing their hands, By Rob Kerby (Senior Editor), beliefnet.com"
Information Location 2:	http://blog.beliefnet.com/pray_for_the_persecuted_church/2011/08/husband-wife-get-25-years-for-allegedly-touching-koran-without-washing-their-hands.html
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Munir Masih

Charge:

Desecration (of a religious document)

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment (25 years)

Years Imprisoned:

0.83

Year Crime:

2008

Year Convicted:

2010

Year Cleared:

2012

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Pakistan

County or Region of Crime:

Kasur

City of Crime:

Punjab

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

No eyewitness testimony that they violated Pakistan's blasphemy law.

Innocence Proved By:

"On May 17, 2012 an appeals court acquitted the couple on the basis that the prosecutors failed to prove that they had defiled the Qur'an."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

28

Age When Released:

30

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"Blasphemy conviction overturned in Pakistan, From Compass Direct News, Canada Free Press, May 31, 2012"

Information Location 1:

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/47046

Information Source 2:

"Husband, wife get 25 years for allegedly touching Koran without washing their hands, By Rob Kerby (Senior Editor), beliefnet.com"

Information Location 2:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/pray_for_the_persecuted_church/2011/08/husband-wife-get-25-years-for-allegedly-touching-koran-without-washing-their-hands.html

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: