![]() ![]() Police at one point said they arrested Tian to save him from an attack by angry crowds. The arrest of Muslims and non-Muslims on charges of blasphemy are common in Pakistan, but foreigners are rarely detained. He pleaded not guilty during an earlier appearance in court and insisted he did not insult Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, according to his lawyer. The Chinese Embassy had earlier said it was looking into his case.ĭuring his detention, Tian was briefly hospitalized after feeling unwell, authorities have said but provided no other details. It was not immediately clear if Tian would have to remain in Pakistan to face trial or if he would be allowed to go back to China. He was released after depositing a bond of 200,000 rupees ($700), Jadoon said. His lawyer, Atif Khan Jadoon, said Tian was granted bail by a judge in the northwestern city of Abbottabad on Thursday. They alleged that Tian insulted Islam, a charge he denied. Hundreds of residents and laborers in the town of Komela then blocked a key highway and demanded his arrest. He was accused of blasphemy earlier this month after he criticized two drivers working on the project for taking too much time to pray during work hours. The suspect, identified only by one name, Tian, was part of a group of Chinese working on the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan. Often, just a mere accusation is enough to provoke mobs to riot and even attempt to lynch those suspected of blasphemy. Under Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, which have been widely criticized by rights groups, anyone convicted of the offense can be sentenced to death. ![]() A Chinese national arrested in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy has been released from a high-security prison after a court granted him bail, a defense lawyer and local police said Friday.
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