It is now more than nine years since Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman, was arrested for blasphemy.
Sentenced to death under controversial blasphemy laws her case has received international focus and has become emblematic of religious minorities' struggle in Pakistan.
She was convicted and sentenced to death on blasphemy charges in November 2010 by the Session's Court in District Nankana, Punjab. But she is still waiting for her case to be heard by the Supreme Court in Pakistan after the High Court of Lahore confirmed her death sentence in 2014.
Away from Bibi's immediate treatment two Pakistani politicians have also been murdered for voicing their support for her.
The governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, visited Bibi in prison and afterwards said that the blasphemy laws had been misused in her case. Days later he was murdered by his bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, who was later given the death penalty himself.
Two months after Taseer's murder, in March 2011, the federal minister of minorities' affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti – the only Christian in the Pakistani cabinet – criticised the country's blasphemy laws, pointing out they are easily manipulated. Shortly after the statement was made, an attacker sprayed his car with bullets in Islamabad.
The terror cell Tehrik-e-Taliban claimed responsibility for the murder, adding that Bhatti was killed for opposing Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
Now into her 10th year in prison, Bibi is awaiting a date for the Supreme Court to hear her case after Pakistan's top judge said he would take up the case of the Catholic mother-of-five.
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar told lawyer Saif ul Malook – the chief counsel for Asia Bibi – to prepare for her appeal.
'Be ready, Saif ul Malook. I am going to fix your case soon and I myself will preside over the bench,' Nisar told Malook on April 21.
Marking the anniversary of BIbi's arrest, William Stark, International Christian Concern's regional manager, said: 'It is disappointing to see Bibi mark her ninth year in prison. It has been nine long years since Asia had this false blasphemy accusation completely change her life.
'We here at ICC are hopeful that the Supreme Court will hear this final appeal at the soonest possible date.
It is ICC's hope that when the appeal is heard, the Supreme Court will resist outside pressure from extremists.
'If decided on the merits, we believe that the court's only conclusion will be to acquit.'
