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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistani judge grants bail to Christian girl |
| 2012-09-07 |
| In a rare move, a Pak judge granted bail of $10,500 Friday to a young, mentally challenged Christian girl accused of insulting Islam by burning pages of the religion's holy book. Makes it easier for the mob to have at her... The case has focused attention on Pakistain's harsh blasphemy laws, which activists claim are used to persecute minorities and settle personal vendettas. The girl, who medical officials say is 14 years old, was set to sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a life-long lock Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! after an angry mob surrounded her house in the capital, Islamabad, and accused her of burning pages from the Koran, an act punishable by life in prison. Her lawyer has denied the allegation. Bail is rarely granted in blasphemy cases, which carry a stiff penalty of life in prison or death. The bail decision came after a holy man was accused of planting evidence to incriminate the girl and could signal that the case will be thrown out entirely. Rights activists, who have been calling for the girl's release, welcomed the decision. Judge Mohammed Azam Khan set bail at 1 million Pak rupees, or about $10,500, a significant sum in a country where many families live on only a few dollars a day. A Pak group that represents minorities said it would pay the bail. |
| Posted by:Fred |