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CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: Who is Shazia Younis? 50-Year-Old Catholic Mom of 3 Wrongly Charged with Desecrating Quran (Blasphemy) by a Mosque Leader Wins Bail in Pakistan

A Christian woman in Pakistan wrongly charged with blasphemy by a mosque leader was granted bail on Thursday (Jan. 16), according to her lawyer.

Gojra Additional Sessions Judge Waseem Mubarik granted the bail to Shazia Younis, a 50-year-old Catholic mother of three children, in the case registered under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy statutes relating to desecration of the Quran, punishable by life in prison, said attorney Javed Sahotra.

Sahotra claimed the police had wrongly prosecuted Younis because Section 295-B clearly requires a suspect to have “deliberately or intentionally” desecrated the Quran; intent is required for a blasphemy conviction.

“In this case, the complainant has admitted that Younis had unknowingly burned the holy pages along with waste paper. Therefore, her act does not constitute a case under Section 295-B.”

– Javed Sahotra

The complainant did not witness the alleged incident, and police had not found any incriminating evidence in the woman’s custody, he added.

According to Sahotra, the judge ordered Younis’ release on condition of 50,000 rupees ($180 USD) in surety bonds.

Younis was arrested on December 21 by Gojra Saddar police in Toba Tek Singh District, Punjab Province, following a complaint from Atta Ul Mustafa, the prayer leader of a mosque in her village, Chak No. 180-GB Mongi Bangla.

Mustafa alleged in the FIR that he was in a market on December 21 when 2 local Muslims, Muhammad Imran and Rab Nawaz, informed him that the woman had set fire to books outside her home.

NEWS SOURCE & LINKS:
Christian Daily International

Who is Shazia Younis? 50-Year-Old Catholic Mom CHARGED WITH DESECRATING QURAN (BLASPHEMY) WINS BAIL | Christian Breaking News!