|
|
Article: Court releases Christian condemned for blasphemy. (World).(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- August 30, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
PAKISTAN: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the immediate release of a Christian whose 1998 death sentence for blasphemy led a Catholic bishop to commit suicide in protest.
MISNA, a Rome-based missionary news agency, reported Aug. 16 that a day earlier the court ordered the release of Ayub Masih, who has been in jail for almost six years on charges he insulted the Muslim prophet Mohammed.
Ayub was found guilty and condemned to death under Pakistan's strict anti-blasphemy laws in 1998.
Bishop John Joseph of Faisalabad, who had led nationwide protests calling for the repeal of the laws, committed suicide outside ...