Thursday, October 11, 2012

Setback for blasphemy-accused girl

Three witnesses whose testimony could help free a Pakistani girl facing the death penalty for blasphemy have withdrawn their statements, claiming they were "coerced" into making them by police in the first place.

Rimsha Masih, a Christian from an Islamabad slum, who has learning difficulties and is thought to be around 14, was arrested on 18 August for allegedly burning pages of the Qur'an. 

She denies the charges and is currently at a secret location after being granted bail a month ago.

The three witnesses initially told police they saw Khalid Jadoon Chishti, a Muslim cleric, tear pages out of a copy of the Qur'an and add them to rubbish Rimsha was carrying, in order to frame her.