Release International

Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi has lost her appeal against a death sentence for blasphemy. The campaign to free the first Christian woman to face execution under Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws will now be taken to the Supreme Court.

Lahore High Court this morning rejected her appeal and upheld the death sentence against Asia Bibi.

A representative of Release International, which supports persecuted Christians, was in court. He says up to 25 Muslim teachers attended today's hearing, possibly to increase pressure on the court to uphold the death sentence.

The tactic of packing the court to intimidate judges is frequently used in blasphemy cases in the lower courts.

Asia, a farm labourer from Punjab, has been in custody since 2009. She was arrested after an argument with Muslim farm labourers who accused her of blaspheming against Islam's prophet Mohammed. She denies the charge.

Asia was given the death sentence in November 2010. She has been on death row ever since.

The news will come as a blow to campaigners who have maintained Asia's innocence and have been pressing for the repeal of the blasphemy laws, which are often invoked just to settle personal scores.

'Asia's husband and the team are very disappointed and downhearted at the decision,' says Release Chief Executive, Paul Robinson. 'Her legal team is planning to appeal to the Supreme Court.

'We join others around the world in calling on the Pakistani authorities to show clemency and pardon Asia, so she can be reunited with her family.'

The high-profile case remains hugely controversial in Pakistan. The former Governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, was killed by his bodyguard in January 2011 after showing support for Asia.

Two months later, Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, was assassinated after voicing support for Asia and demanding reform of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Last year, Pakistan's Federal Sharia Court demanded that blasphemy should carry a mandatory death sentence in all courts in the country.

The ruling by the Federal Sharia Court represents a significant push towards hard-line Islamic law in Pakistan.

Release has warned the harder line may encourage extremists to attack those whose cases have yet to come to court. It could also lead to an increase in religious persecution and harsher conditions for prisoners on death row.