LAHORE, Pakistan — After eight and a half years in jail on unsubstantiated blasphemy charges, Pakistani Christian Ranjha Masih was acquitted Nov. 10 by the Lahore High Court.
Arrested in May 1998 during a funeral procession for former Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad John Joseph, Masih had been convicted and sentenced to life in prison by a district court in April 2003.
At the end of a two-hour appeal hearing on the case Nov. 10, presiding Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa ruled that the lack of any solid evidence against Masih required him to issue a complete acquittal. Defense lawyer Justin Gill said he expected a prison release order to be issued Nov. 11.
According to a representative from the Lahore-based Center for Legal Aid Assistance & Settlement, the former hospital worker will be transferred to a secure, undisclosed location after his release.
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