He was charged with insulting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The 42-year-old’s supporters believe that he was falsely accused of the crime, which is punishable by death in Pakistan, an Islamic republic in South Asia with a population of almost 227 million people.
Malook, who represented Asia Bibi, a Catholic mother acquitted of blasphemy in 2018, petitioned the Supreme Court at a hearing on Jan. 5 to break with the practice of denying bail to people accused of blasphemy.
But asked if his successful petition was a signal that Samson would ultimately be released, the lawyer said: “That is a different story.”
He noted that people accused of blasphemy, even without evidence, face significant risks, saying that “when Nadeem Samson is going to court he can be killed anytime.”
There are around 4 million Christians, including more than a million Catholics, in Pakistan.
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