Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – Asia Bibi will have a private convoy if she has to move in order to be transferred to a new jail or for her hearing in the appeal process in the High Court of Lahore: as reported to Fides by Haroon Barket Masih, director of the “Masihi Foundation”, the only organization that is working to provide legal assistance to the woman who was sentenced to death for blasphemy, as well as material help to her family.
According to a Pakistani Secret Service report, given the threats she has received, Asia Bibi should be transferred to a new female prison, probably in Multan, to guarantee her personal security. “However, even this transfer implies grave dangers per her safety,” Haroon Masih revealed to Fides. “The terrorists may strike at every opportunity, or infiltrate the guards that should be protecting her, as happened with Governor Taseer”. Because of this, the Masihi Foundation, in agreement with authorities, intends to organise a private convoy, which will provide an increased guarantee of protection to the woman: “Today, given recent events, we do not trust highly in the security services offered by the State, composed of Muslim men,” he remarked.
A further risk for Asia will be that of appearing in court: as reported to Fides by her defence lawyers, who are finalizing the report to submit to the Court, the first hearing date for the appeal is approaching and could be fixed by the end of January. But the presence of Asia in the room in Lahore, is “highly ill-advised, because it would expose her to shooting by radicals, as happened to the brothers Rashid and Sajid Emmanuel, accused of blasphemy and murdered during the trial before the court in July 2010 in Faisalabad.” The lawyers, given the situation and the real danger of a summary execution (which have already taken place for 34 people accused of blasphemy), ask that a special hearing may be held for her within the walls of the prison.
Haroon Barket Masih concludes: “We must do everything we can to protect Asia's life. Even her family, which lives in hiding today, is deeply confused by the turn which her story took and by the violence that was unleashed in society. We hope that, given the national and international mobilization, Asia will soon regain her freedom, given her innocence.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/1/2011)
