Gojra accused is granted bail - CLAAS

Lahore, Pakistan: January 20, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

A Christian man accused of killing a Muslim extremist during an attack on his community has been granted bail by the division bench of the Lahore High Court. Police accuse Naveed Masih of murdering Mohammad Asif, a member of the mob that attacked Christians in Gojra and Korian on 1 August 2009.

Mr Asif was seriously injured as members of the Christian community attempted to fend off the attack. He died later from his injuries in hospital. 

Mr Masih reported being tortured by the authorities upon his arrest, a common occurrence for Christians in police detention in Pakistan. 

He also reported being contacted by some of the Muslim suspects, who offered him money to lie on their behalf and so escape prosecution. 

“They blindfolded me and hung me in a dark well, and sometimes I hung all night upside down without clothes,” he said. “They also kept me hungry and tried to force me to confess that some religious organisation paid me to fire a weapon and incite the Muslims.”

Naveed was represented in court by CLAAS lawyer Mr Akbar Munwar Durrani. High court judges Justice Khawaja Muhammad and Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik accepted the bail request just before Christmas and Naveed was released on 23 December. 

CLAAS is also representing Nauman, a Christian arrested without charges by police in the wake of the Gojra violence. A bail request has been submitted to the courts requesting his release. 

Naveed says he fears for his safety and that he may even be killed if he continues to live in Pakistan. CLAAS has been in touch with local police and asked them to protect him. Please remember Naveed, his family and all the victims of the Gojra violence in your prayers.

For more detail visit www.claas.org.uk