Christian Woman Acquitted Of Blasphemy Freed Amid Public Execution Calls From Protesters

A Christian woman, who was acquitted after eight years on death row for blasphemy, was released from a jail in Pakistan amid calls for her public execution by radical Islamists. Aasia Bibi was with her family and under heavy security after being transferred to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Wednesday night.

Bibi's whereabouts remained a closely guarded secret amid the ongoing threats to her life. Some reports had suggested Bibi had left for the Netherlands along with her family in the wee hours of Thursday. However, Pakistan's Foreign Office denied reports saying she was still present in the country. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also confirmed she was still in Pakistan.

Radical Islamists have been demanding Bibi's death as well as the death of the three Supreme Court judges who acquitted her last week. Thousands of people also poured onto the streets in protest after the highest court in the country overturned her conviction. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Party, founded by preacher Khadim Hussain Rizvi, forced a country-wide shut down with their supporters taking the streets for three days to protest Bibi's release.

Several protesters were arrested for damaging vehicles and property during the rallies, according to Al Jazeera.

The blasphemy charge against Bibi stemmed from an incident in 2009, when the 54-year-old mother of five went to fetch water. An argument took place after two fellow women farmworkers refused to drink from the same container as a Christian. Nearly a week later, the two women said Bibi had insulted the Prophet Muhammad and she was charged with blasphemy — a controversial issue in Pakistan. The blasphemy charge, which carries the death penalty, was handed to Bibi and she was sentenced in 2010.

Bibi's case garnered worldwide attention and brought sharp criticism to Pakistan's blasphemy law.

After Bibi's husband requested asylum in the West, she and her family was invited by European Parliament President Antonio Tajani to visit the European Parliament.

"I call on Pakistan's authorities to issue the necessary documents. European rules require protection to be granted to those who are under threat due to their faith," Tajani tweetedTuesday. Tajani told Bibi's husband Ashiq Masih in a letter, that the European Parliament is "extremely concerned for your safety as well as your family's, due to the violence by extremist elements in Pakistan." Earlier, Spain and France had offered her asylum.