religious persecution award was to appear Friday November 10, in front of an appeals court, Christian supporters told BosNewsLife.

The High Court of Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province, was to hear the ailing Ranjha Masih, who human rights watchers have described as "a victim" of the country’s controversial Blasphemy Law.  He was detained in 1998 and held for five years without bail on charges of damaging a sign containing versus from the Quran, seen as a holy book by Muslims.

The incident allegedly happened during a protest sparked by Bishop John Joseph who committed suicide to protest the execution of a Christian man on blasphemy charges. In the highly charged atmosphere, Masih, who has denied any wrongdoing, was detained.

In 2003, after an extended trial, Masih was sentenced to life in prison and fined 50,000 rupees ($825). Friday’s hearing, following a brief adjourned meeting this week, was the first real court procedure since an appeal was launched three years ago by the advocacy group Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS).

DEFENSE TEAM

CLAAS lawyers were to represent Masih in court, but rights groups have expressed concerns over the fairness of the trial. News of the court case came shortly after Ranjha Masih, who has been incarcerated longer than any other Pakistani Christian convicted of blasphemy, said he was feeling "forgotten" by the church. "

Last month in a letter by BosNewsLife, CLAAS Coordinator Wasim Muntizar said that the "judicial system in Pakistan is so slow sometimes a person dies before getting justice." He said that during his meeting with the jailed Christian on September 19, "Ranjha told me of the agony he suffers daily. He shared that he had almost no support from the Christians (church)." 

Muntizar said "many Muslims had contacted him and told him that if he converted to Islam, then they could get him out of jail." The Christian apparently refused. "He said that it was His grace that was helping him to go through all this physical and mental torment."

SUFFERING AILMENTS

Ranjha, 58, is also physically suffering, from hemorrhoids, severe knee joint pains because of rheumatoid arthritis, insomnia, and diabetes said Muntizar and other investigators. Earlier this year the International Society for Human Rights (IGFM) honored Ranjha Masih with the newly established Stephen Endowment award in recognition of his  "steadfastness in maintaining his Christian beliefs."

During its annual conference in Frankfurt, Germany, the group reportedly said it hoped that the award, including 500 Euros (US$643), would "raise Ranjha and his family’s morale, helping them financially and improving Ranjha’s fate through greater publicity."

At least 23 people involved in blasphemy cases have been murdered in Pakistan, according to the National Commission for Justice and Peace. A quarter of the victims were apparently Christians, although they are believed to comprise less than 2 percent of the country’s population.

Christian rights investigators have warned that Masih, his wife and six children may face greater danger if he is acquitted, amid apparent fears of revenge attacks. (With BosNewsLife Research and reports from Pakistan).

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