In October 2011, Masih was arrested in Punjab. A complaint had been filed against him by his neighbors, who, as it transpired in the course of investigations, thus hoped to seize his land from him.

Activists of Pakistani and international human rights organizations have applauded the court decision, seeing it as a positive sign for many other similar cases in the future.

Masih’s case, in their view, was an important precedent.

Voice of Russia, RIA