Through Thick and Thin, Rimsha is Out of Jail Today

The girl has been in custody since she was arrested in a poor Islamabad suburb more than two weeks ago...

Rimsha Masih being evacuated in a helicopter. Courtesy: theworthingtonpost.com

(ISLAMABAD, Pakistan) - Yesterday Pakistani Judge Muhammad Azam Khan granted bail and today his court issued a release order accepting two sureties bonds of Rs. 5,00,000/- each for a Christian girl Rimsha, who had been accused of blasphemy.

Rimsha was released from Central Jail, Adaial Rawalpindi, where she had been kept under detention for couple of weeks, and flown to safe place in a government helicopter.

Rimsha was brought from the jail in an armored vehicle to the nearest helipad, where the government chopper was waiting to fly her out. A large number of security personnel, along with members of the Christian community, were present outside Adiala Jail.

Earlier, on Friday, the teenage girl was granted bail by the court of additional sessions against two sureties bonds of Rs.500,000 each.

“I accept her bail application,” Judge Mohammad Azam Khan had announced to a packed courtroom. “The bail application has been accepted against two sureties of 500,000 rupees each.”

Earlier, today, it was heavily raining in the court premises, and went with official spokesman of lawyers penal, Mr. Basharat Khokher, we went through to fulfill the official requirements of the honorable court.

Mr. Agustin Shehbaz, and Anthony Francis had submitted their property's paper for the sureties bonds for Rimsha. After filling the papers, we got release order at 2:45 pm from the court and sent the jail officials.

A large number of security personnel, members of civil society and international media persons were present outside the jail since morning.

The girl has been in custody since she was arrested in a poor Islamabad suburb more than two weeks ago after being accused of burning papers containing verses from the Quran.

Past coverage:

Sep-07-2012: BREAKING NEWS: 14-Year Old Pakistani Girl Accused of Burning Qur'an Granted Bail - Shamim Masih for Salem-News.com

Sept-05-2012: PUCM Calls to Pakistani Christians Leadership to Stand Together - Shamim Masih for Salem-News.com

Sept-05-2012: Some Organizations Exploiting and Commercializing the Tragic Case of Rimsha - Shamim Masih for Salem-News.com

Sept-02-2012: Pakistan Police Arrest Cleric who Accused Christian Girl Rimsha of Blasphemy - Shamim Masih for Salem-News.com

Sept-02-2012: Pakistan United Christian Movement Demands Urgent Release of 14-Year Old Rimsha Arrested in Fabricated Case - Salem-News.com

Augt-30-2012: Medical Report of Christian Girl Accused of Burning Quran Challenged in Pakistani Court - Salem-News.com

Aug-27-2012: Pakistani Christian Girl Accused of Burning Qur'an in Court - Shamim Masih for Salem-News.com

Aug-19-2012: Pakistan Jails Christian Teenager over BlasphemyLetter by William Gomes Salem-News.com

Aug-19-2012: Pakistan Moves to Protect Girl over Alleged Qur'an Burning - Salem-News.com