Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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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:

"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

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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