After a four-year campaign by Christian Solidarity International (CSI), Nabeel Masih, a 20-year-old Christian in Pakistan has been released from prison after being charged with blasphemy by the government. CSI has assisted the Masih family with their legal fees while supporters regularly sent cards of encouragement to Nabeel in prison.
Nabeel was just 16 years old when he was accused of blasphemy in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was kept in solitary confinement. According to his father, Nabeel does not smile now. After more than four years of detention in a cell measuring just 78 inches square, he is severely traumatized and does not yet fully realize what has happened to him.
Though Nabeel is now free, the fight for justice has only just begun. The next hurdle is to win the court case so that Nabeel is finally acquitted. But for now, the young man is simply enjoying being free and being able to look up at the sky for the first time in years.
In an interview with CSI’s Pakistani project partners a year ago, Nabeel said, “I pray to God every minute of the day. Some days I despair. But I know God will help to win my release soon.”
CSI continues its work of helping victims of injustice and religious discrimination in Pakistan.
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-CNJ Staff Reports