The governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, who is a Muslim, was assassinated
because of his defense of Asia and opposition to the blasphemy law.

Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian cabinet member, was shot
dead for he attempted to change the blasphemy laws.

The Supreme Court Judge later resigned in a handwritten letter
addressed to the President of Pakistan, without stating any specific reasons
for his resignation.
The chief Justice of Pakistan declined a request for the hearing of the case
of Asia.
Today, Asia Bibi no longer has a lawyer. No one dare to represent her
for fear of being killed.

/

a synopsis of her story :

Aasiya Noreen Bibi (Asia Bibi) was involved in an argument
with a group of Muslim women with whom she had been harvesting berries
after the other women grew angry with her for drinking the same water as them.

They angrily told her that it was forbidden for a Christian to drink water
from the same utensil from which Muslims drink,
and some of the other workers considered her to be unclean
because she was a Christian. Some arguments ensued.

Asia recounts that when they made derogatory statements about her religion,
she responded, "I believe in my religion and in Jesus Christ, who died
on the cross for the sins of mankind.
What did your Prophet Mohammed ever do to save mankind?

She was subsequently accused of insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad,
a charge she denies, and was arrested and imprisoned.
Before her incarceration, she had been repeatedly urged by her fellow workers
to convert to Islam, which she refused.
Later, some of the workers complained to a cleric that Asia insulted Muhammad.

A mob came to her house, beating her and members of her family
before she was rescued by the police.

The police initiated an investigation about Asia's remarks,
resulting in her arrest.
She subsequently was imprisoned for over a year before being formally charged.

She was convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court,
receiving a sentence of death by hanging.
The verdict, which was reached in a district court, would need to be upheld
by a superior court. The appeal hearing was delayed five times.

Asia was put in solitary confinement in an 8 x 10 ft cell without windows
at the Lahore prison.
The Supreme Court suspended her death sentence for the duration of the
appeals process. To date, Asia is imprisoned for eight years.

Despite her case has received worldwide attention, she received less sympathy
from her neighbors and Islamic religious leaders in the country,
some of whom adamantly called for her to be executed.

Her family went into hiding after receiving death threats,
some of which threatened to kill Asia if released from prison.

The family declined to leave the country while she remained in prison,
but Italy, France, and Spain all offered to grant her and her family asylum
in the event of her release.

( goodreads )