Tuesday 28 August 2012

Pakistan blasphemy case Christian girl 'is 14


Lawyer Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, centre, waits with other Christian community leaders outside a court in Islamabad on 28 August, 2012. Rimsha's lawyer, centre, and Christian leaders are hopeful she will be freed

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Doctors in Pakistan have established that a Christian girl jailed on blasphemy charges is aged about 14, her lawyer says.
Medics also said that the girl, Rimsha, has a mental age of less than that, lawyer Tahir Naveed Chaudhry added.
Rimsha is being held in a high security prison, amid growing international pressure for her to be freed.
Mr Chaudhry said he would be applying for bail at a court hearing on Thursday and is hopeful she will be released.
He has applied to have the case heard under juvenile law.
Since her arrest almost two weeks ago, there have been conflicting reports about Rimsha's age and mental capacity. Some reports say she has Down's Syndrome, others that she is as young as 11.
She was detained after an angry mob accused her of desecrating pages of the Koran in a Christian area of the capital, Islamabad.
It is not clear whether she burned pages of the Muslim holy book or was found to be carrying them in her bag. Supporters say she has been wrongly accused.

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The government should make this case an example so that nobody will dare misuse the blasphemy law in future”
Allama Tahir AshrafiAll Pakistan Ulema Council
'Jungle law'
On Tuesday, an umbrella group of Muslim clerics and scholars said her case should be a test case for Pakistan, and no injustice should be done.
"The law of the jungle is taking over now and anybody can be accused of anything," said Allama Tahir Ashrafi, chairman of the All Pakistan Ulema Council.
"If she has been falsely accused, her accuser should be arrested and punished."
Rimsha's parents have been taken into protective custody following threats, and many other Christian families have fled the neighbourhood.
There are fears that even if she is released, Rimsha's family will not be safe in Pakistan. Others accused of blasphemy have been killed by mobs in the recent past. Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws are often used to settle personal vendettas, correspondents say.
Last year two leading politicians were assassinated after speaking out against the legislation.

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