In January, Pakistan’s Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the acquittal of Asia Bibi on blasphemy charges and upheld its decision to overturn Asia Bibi’s conviction and death sentence.
The Supreme Court’s quashing of her sentence in October 2018 led to violent protests by religious hardliners who support strong blasphemy laws, while more liberal sections of society urged her release.
The hardliners had petitioned to overturn the ruling, but Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa dismissed it. Asia had been unable to leave Pakistan while the appeal request was pending and had been kept safe at a secret location in Islamabad.
