A high court in Pakistan on Thursday upheld the death sentence for Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five who in 2010 became the first Pakistani woman to be sentenced to death for “blasphemy,” after Muslim fellow laborers accused her of insulting Mohammed.After the high court in the Punjab provincial capital Lahore dismissed Bibi’s appeal, an organization that campaigns against Pakistan’s notorious laws accused the panel’s two judges of being swayed by about 25 Islamic clerics who it said were present in the courtroom “to apply pressure.”The accusation was made by the Center for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), an organization with branches in Pakistan and Britain that provides legal assistance to Christians accused under the blasphemy laws.“I am very disappointed with today’s result and my thoughts and prayers are with Asia’s family,” said CLAAS-UK director Nasir Saeed.“It is not surprising that the judges were swayed by pressure from local influential Muslims, but I had hoped that justice would prevail and that the case would be judged based on its merits,” he said. “While the rest of the world condemns such draconian laws, Pakistan continues to persecute its minorities simply because of their religion.”
Her attorney is appealing the case to the Pakistani Supreme Court.
From Houston to to Pakistan, followers of the cross just can't catch a break.
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