Pakistan - Asia Bibi awarded honorary citizenship by Paris Mayor

The Council in Paris on unanimously adopted a proposal by the city’s socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo to award honorary citizenship to Asia Bibi.

Asia Bibi, a middle-aged-mother of five children, was condemned to death for alleged blaspheme. The Lahore High Court upheld her sentence in October 2014. However, the Supreme Court on November 30 decided to re-open the case and a new trial will begin in May.

“To support her in her fight against ignorance and obscurantism, Anne Hildago wishes that Paris raises Asia Bibi to the level of honorary citizen, a rare distinction granted to the world’s most emblematic defenders of human rights,” the statement explained.

Mayor Hildago reiterated her commitment to continue her support for Bibi until a presidential pardon or a new court sentence restores her freedom. She also stated that Paris would welcome Asia and her family as soon as this freedom is restored to her.

“To be an honorary citizen is to embody the values of Paris, the values of liberty and tolerance. By this bold gesture, I wish to testify to the solidarity of Paris towards the numerous women around the world of all confessions who are religious obscurantism and political extremism,” Hildago said.

In December last year, the mayor disclosed a banner of Asia Bibi which has kept on display on the steps of the City Hall. At the revealing, Hildago emphasized: “We must support Asia Bibi, as women in all regions of the world are the first victims of an order which theocrats, who twist the messages of all religions, try to impose.”