Asia Bibi's family meets Pope Francis during European tour

Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi is facing death for blasphemy. (Photo: Voice of the Martyrs)

The family of persecuted Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi met with Pope Francis on Wednesday as part of their European tour.

Bibi's husband, Ashiq Masih, and one of their daughters, Eisham, are meeting with European leaders in hopes of securing her release from death row.

She was sentenced to death after Muslim women in her village were offended when she drank from the same well as them, and accused her of insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

She was convicted of blasphemy in 2010, and her death sentence was upheld by the Lahore High Court last year. Her case is pending at the Supreme Court level.

"Holy Father, pray for Asia Bibi, for us, for all persecuted Christians in Pakistan," the family asked Pope Francis after the Wednesday General Audience.

The Pope heard their plight and offered his blessings.  "I am praying for Asia, for you and for all suffering Christians," he said.

The family was joined by Lahore's Renaissance Education Foundation educator and director Joseph Nadeem, who has provided support for Bibi's family and educational assistance for her childen.

Following the meeting with the Pope, the group went to the Italian Parliament to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Paolo Gentiloni and other leaders. They appealed to the officials to pressure the Pakistani government into releasing Bibi.

The delegation will also travel to Madrid, Paris, and Berlin to raise awareness of the case and garner support.

In November, the European Parliament approved a resolution condemning Bibi's sentence, and called "on the Supreme Court to uphold the rule of law and the full respect of human rights, to start its proceedings on the case without delay and to strike down the verdict".

The legislators also noted that "the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by presidential pardon can still overturn the Lahore High Court decision and grant amnesty to Asia Bibi."

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