Christians acquitted after two-year imprisonment

Christians acquitted after two-year imprisonment

LAHORE, Pakistan — After more than two years in a Pakistani jail, two Christian men convicted of blasphemy against the Quran were acquitted April 16 when a high court in Lahore overturned their 10-year sentence.

James Masih, 67, and Buta Masih, 72, were accused of burning pages from the Quran in October 2006. In a case that drew crowds of Islamic fanatics, they were convicted Nov. 25, 2006 of blaspheming Islam’s sacred book.

The pair claimed from the start that the blasphemy charges were fabricated due to a dispute over a plot of land that a Muslim neighbor wanted James Masih to sell.

Khalil Tahir Sindhu, their lawyer, said religious bias and public pressure led to the judge’s original decision to sentence the men and could have had a lot to do with the delays in hearing the appeal.