Fake German Heiress Sentenced to Jail

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10 May 2019, 12:11

Anna Sorokin arrives for sentencing at New York State Supreme Court, in New York, Thursday, May 9, 2019. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool)

NEW YORK — Anna Sorokin, the German con artist who passed herself off as a wealthy heiress to swindle banks, hotels and even close friends as she lived out a high-society, Instagram-ready fantasy in New York, was sentenced Thursday to four to 12 years in prison.

The 28-year-old, who had played with her own tabloid image during the trial by wearing stylish dresses to court, looked despondent as the verdict was announced. She pressed her hand to her face and squeezed her eyes shut, appearing to hold back tears.

Judge Diane Kiesel said Sorokin had been “blinded by the glitter and glamour of New York City” as she turned to fraud to finance a life she could never afford. But the judge turned down a request by Sorokin’s lawyers to sentence her to the time she has already spent in jail awaiting trial.

“I am stunned by the depth of the defendant’s deception,” Kiesel said, adding that she hoped to send a message to Sorokin’s internet following “that her behavior is unacceptable.”

“Certainly she didn’t think about the people she scammed,” the judge added.

The sentencing capped a spectacular case that drew international attention and tabloid headlines. Netflix and HBO are both working on shows based on Sorokin’s audacious efforts to finagle her way into the Manhattan socialite scene.

She was convicted last month on multiple counts of larceny and theft and has been in custody since her October 2017 arrest— time behind bars that will be credited toward her sentence. The judge also ordered Sorokin to pay nearly $200,000 in restitution and a $24,000 fine.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement said it will seek to deport Sorokin to Germany following her release from state prison.

Moments before she was sentenced, Sorokin briefly addressed the court, saying, “I apologize for the mistakes I made.”

Her defense attorney, Todd Spodek, told a gaggle of reporters that Sorokin was “holding up OK.” He described the prison sentence as “expected” but said Sorokin will pursue an appeal.

“She’s a tough woman,” Spodek said, noting she has been at Rikers Island for more than 500 days.

Sorokin forged a new identity — Anna Delvey — and defrauded financial institutions and Manhattan celebrities into believing she had a fortune of $67 million (60 million euros) overseas that could cover her jet-setting lifestyle , high-end clothing and lavish hotel stays. She falsely claimed her father was a diplomat or an oil baron and falsified bank records. In fact, her father told New York magazine he’s a former trucker who runs a heating-and-cooling business.

Her ruse included an application for a $22 million loan to fund a private arts club, complete with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops, prosecutors said. She was denied that loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $100,000 that she failed to repay.

In all, prosecutors accused her of stealing some $275,000, including a $35,400 bill she failed to pay for a plane she chartered to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. She went to great lengths to ensure others paid her way, even as she had “not a cent to her name, as far as we can determine,” prosecutor Catherine McCaw said following Sorokin’s arrest.

“An ordinary person would just take coach,” McCaw told Kiesel at Thursday’s hearing. “The defendant did not want an ordinary life, and she was willing to steal in order to get that.”

The jury convicted Sorokin of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny.

Jurors acquitted her of two counts, including an allegation that she promised a friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $62,000 bill. She was also found not guilty of one of the most serious charges in the indictment: attempting to steal more than $1 million from City National Bank.

Spodek argued that Sorokin had been “buying time” and always intended to settle her debts. He portrayed her as an ambitious entrepreneur and said she lacked criminal intent.

McCaw rejected that characterization, saying Sorokin showed “almost no remorse” throughout the proceedings. The prosecutor said Sorokin seemed to revel at the plight of her victims and showed more concern for her attire than the emotions of those she hurt.

US Seizes North Korean Ship For Violating Sanctions

By

Associated Press

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10 May 2019, 12:01

This satellite image provided by the Department of Justice shows what the DoJ says is the North Korean cargo ship Wise Honest docked at a unknown port. (Department of Justice via AP)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. said Thursday that it has seized a North Korean cargo ship that was used to violate international sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that comes amid a tense moment in relations between the two countries.

The “Wise Honest,” North Korea’s second largest cargo ship, was detained in April 2018 as it traveled toward Indonesia. It’s now in the process of being moved to American Samoa, Justice Department officials said.

Officials made the announcement hours after North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea, the second weapons launch in five days and a possible signal that stalled talks over its nuclear weapons program are in trouble. The public disclosure that the vessel is now in U.S. custody may further inflame tensions, though U.S. officials said the timing of their complaint was not a response to the missile launch.

Justice Department lawyers laid out the case for confiscating the ship in a complaint filed in New York, arguing that payments for maintenance and operation of the vessel were channeled through unwitting U.S. financial institutions in violation of American law. The coal trade itself is also believed to fund the isolated country’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

“This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Department’s top national security official, told reporters. He later added: “The U.S. sanctions against North Korea reflect the threat these programs pose to U.S. national security.”

The 581-foot (177 meters) Wise Honest was used for coal transports to ports abroad, according to the complaint, generating badly needed revenue to a country that is under U.N. sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program. The ship also delivered heavy machinery back to North Korea.

The vessel was owned by a subsidiary of a North Korean shipping company that is controlled by the country’s military and is on a Treasury Department sanctions list, officials said.

North Korea sought to disguise the nationality of the ship and the origin of its cargo, according to the complaint. The ship, in what U.S. officials say was a clear act of concealment, also turned off an automatic signal system intended to alert other ships of its course and location. The ship had not broadcast a signal since August 2017 despite having made at least one voyage since then, according to the complaint.

Indonesian authorities intercepted and seized the Wise Honest in the East China Sea a month after it was photographed at the port of Nampo, North Korea, where it took on a load of coal. The captain of the ship was charged in Indonesia with violating that country’s maritime laws and convicted, the complaint says. It was not immediately clear what happened to the rest of the crew, which at least at one time totaled two dozen members.

The U.S. has prosecuted people and businesses for violating sanctions but has never before seized a North Korean ship. The country will have an opportunity to contest the seizure in court. If the U.S. prevails, it will be able to sell the vessel.

“When nations who have stated an intent to do harm to the United States evade international sanctions, Americans become less safe,” said Geoffrey Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Asked whether North Korea’s largest merchant ship was similarly involved in illegal coal exports, Demers said that he did not know, but added, “If it is, we’d love to get our hands on it.”

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have held two summits focused on the North’s nuclear program but have made no discernible progress toward a deal that would eliminate its weapons. At the White House on Thursday, Trump said the U.S. was looking “very seriously right now” at North Korea’s recent military tests.

“Nobody’s happy about it.”

Journey’s End for Nancy Chandler’s Bangkok Maps

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Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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9 May 2019, 17:50

Varisara Bejrakashem, Roengsak Chankasem, and Nima Chandler of Nancy Chandler Graphics. Nima is holding an early version of the Nancy Chandler Map of Bangkok.

For almost half a century, a colorful map highlighting secret soi haunts has been a backpack staple of every dedicated visitor to Bangkok. But the family business behind those maps has finally succumbed to the rise of Google Maps.

The company that produces Nancy Chandler’s Map of Bangkok, the exploration bible of every paper-based tourist and expat since the 70s, is shutting its presses after 45 years in business due to declining sales. The last maps will be printed in May.

“‘You gave us the confidence to explore, to venture outside our hotel or our new home’…‘Nancy Chandler, you saved my life when I moved to Thailand,’” Nima Chandler, Nancy’s daughter, recalled feedback she has received over the years. “The maps help share memories, and our love for Thailand.”

Nima, now 51, joined her mother’s business in 1997 with general manager Varisara Bejrakashem and graphic designer Roengsak Chankasem, who have each clocked in 22 years at the company. Nima has since retired. Perhaps surprisingly, the research and marketing of the tourist and expat staple fell into the hands of two Thais who know the city perhaps better than anyone.

No Ordinary Map

Nancy Chandler’s Graphics was founded by Nancy Chandler, an American, in 1974. Nima fondly recalls that Nancy’s first map was a fold-out spread of the Grand Palace area in the American Women’s Club Magazine, drawn after getting lost at Sanam Luang.

The places featured on the latest 2018 edition of the Bangkok map were largely discovered by explorer Roengsak, who spent years walking sois.

Roengsak Chankasem holds the 28th edition of Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok. — Roengsak Chankasem holds the 28th edition of Nancy Chandler’s Map of Bangkok.

“I walked very single soi, not looking for obvious highlights. These are places even Thais don’t know, and should go see,” Roengsak, 42, said.

Air-conditioned places are marked in blue. Vegetarian restaurants are marked with a V. With just a glance, holders of the map can find places to eat and visit in the vicinity of landmarks. The map also helps tourists explore areas that may initially look unsavoury, but are home to charming local businesses.

“Some sois might look like, ‘Woah, I’m not going down that soi’. But I know something’s there because it’s on the Nancy Chandler map,” Nima explained.

The maps also come with a directory that lists places featured on the map, and lay out specially curated tours: “For Lovers of Old Buildings”, “One Stop Clothing Spots For Western-sized Clothes”, “For Those Who Don’t Want to See Another Foreigner Out”.

“This isn’t generic ‘Top Ten’ list stuff but places that will make [your visit] magic – yoga, art films, bowling,” Nima said. “These are things that will make Bangkok yours.”

Nancy Chandler might have been one of the first to transliterate Thai street names into English for maps, as there were no English road signs back in the 70s, Nima mused. The paper maps were later digitized by Roengsak, who even created the Nancy Chandler font himself.

A poster map of the Nancy Chandler Bangkok map, available for sale.

Farewell

Nancy moved back to the US in 1987 but continued to visit Thailand every year until she passed away from pneumonia in 2015 at the age of 76. She left the company to Nima, Varisara and Roengsak.

“She was very kind, narak and an artist at heart. She really knew Thai people. She would come spend time with us at Christmas,” Varisara, 45, recalls. “She was a farang who fell in love with Thailand and expressed it through art.”

Nancy Chandler’s Christmas greeting cards.

Over the years, the company has weathered the increasing digitalization of tourism – not only by map apps, but also online Top 10 Lists that divert travellers to tourist traps rather than small sois. When Redshirt protests in 2010 set fire to parts of CentralWorld, flames engulfed a large collection of the company’s bookstore stocks. They have also felt every single tourist downturn.

Operations were less and less profitable over the years. Although the company broke even and stashed away enough severance for their six staff members, Nima made the decision to close down Nancy Chandler’s by the end of May. The company has never taken ads, though many companies have contacted them in the hopes of being featured on the map.

“It’s our choice what we want to put in,” Nima said. “Some people have called and asked if they can continue Nancy Chandler, but with ads. Nancy wouldn’t have wanted that.”

A Changing Bangkok

How can a meticulous paper map keep up with Bangkok, where streets change on the daily?

“The moment you print a map, it’s outdated,” Nima observed.

Often changes occur because of mall openings, high-rise construction or multi-billion mixed-use projects.

“She loved Thailand, but she hated the shopping malls and skyscrapers. She said it was too much. It wasn’t the Thailand she knew in 1974,” Nima said, referring to her mother.

Nancy Chandler employees viewed the construction as a fact of life in Bangkok, but still wanted people to find little nooks in the city. They championed the mom-and-pop bakery over the corporate chain.

“Thai people are probably happy that the city is improving. And it is. But if they wanna see Thainess, maybe there’s a little less of that,” Roengsak said.

“Not all big buildings are bad. But you’re not gonna find a Starbucks or McDonald’s on our map, unless it’s a special one, like in a historic building,” Nima added.

All Nancy Chandler maps are now 25 percent off. The Bangkok and Chiang Mai maps cost 296 baht each. The Nonthaburi map costs 137 baht. The rest of their stock, which includes cards and stationary, is available online at 50 percent off. Either place orders online, drop by their office at ITF Silom Palace (a walkable distance from BTS Chong Nonsi), or wait for their May 25 to 26 sale at Neilson Hays Library. Stock has largely been pulled from usual outlets. Sales end May 31, but the PDF versions of the maps will continue to be available.

A card showing Santa Claus braving the Thai flooding season.

Nancy Chandler wrapping paper, greeting cards, and gift tags.

A vintage book illustrated by Nancy Chandler.

Neal Berger, 64, a customer of Nancy Chandler’s.

Correction: An earlier version of this article contained errors regarding the financial situation of the company. The error has been corrected.

King’s Sister Gets Royal Medal, New Honorable Title

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Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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9 May 2019, 16:32

FILE - In this March 24, 2010, file photo, Thai Princess Ubolratana poses for a photo at the Thai Gala Night in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

BANGKOK — His Majesty the King on Thursday bestowed a new royal honor and decoration upon his elder sister, though her status remains unchanged.

An order published in the Royal Gazette honored Princess Ubolratana as Phra Sotarajetthabhakini, literally “an elder sister sharing the same womb”. The command praised Ubolratana for being “a person close to, loved and respected by” His Majesty and a companion with whom he has “shared happiness and hardship since childhood”.

A First Class Rattanabhorn Medal was also granted to the 68-year-old princess in the same announcement. The order was dated Wednesday but only made public today.

The new honors are not official royal titles, but a description of Ubolratana’s relation to His Majesty the King, a historian clarified. Ubolratana quit nobility in 1972 to marry an American, and her status has never been formally restored.

“It’s not a new title… It merely stated that they are siblings from the same parents,” Rungroj Bhiromanukul, who teaches at Ramkhamhaeng University, said in an interview.

Ubolratana was the epicenter of a political earthquake in February when the now-disbanded Thai Raksa Chart nominated her as the party’s prime ministerial candidate. Ubolratana and her supporters maintained she is a commoner and eligible to run for office.

But the King himself halted Ubolratana’s bid less than 24 hours later. Through a royal command, His Majesty ruled the princess cannot enter politics because she’s considered an exalted member of the royal family despite having renounced her royal titles 40 years ago.

The Constitutional Court eventually dissolved Thai Raksa Chart on allegations of drawing the monarchy into politics. Ubolratana’s status remains dubious for many observers.

“I don’t even know if she should be called a princess or former princess in English,” Rungroj said.

On the same day, His Majesty also bestowed two new decorations upon Col. Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi. She is a senior ranking royal guard.

Additional reporting Teeranai Charuvastra

Two Weeks Left to Challenge Party-List MP Results: Scholar

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Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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9 May 2019, 14:16

Future Forward Party leaders react to the Election Commission's party-list MPs announcement on May 8, 2019.

BANGKOK — The Constitutional Court could order the Election Commission to recalculate party-list seats if it finds the commission’s seat distribution formula unconstitutional, a veteran poll observer asserted Thursday.

Laddawan Tantivitayapitak, who heads the kingdom’s leading election observation group, said any overturn or changes to the commission’s controversial seat allocations must take place within the next 14 days. This is because the law requires parliament to convene within 15 days after the election results are officially announced.

“After that it will have been fait accompli,” PNET vice-president Laddawan said in an interview, adding that she personally disagreed with the way seats were allocated.

Former Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn shared a similar view on Thursday.

“There could be a re-announcement if the [calculation] was wrong,” said Somchai, who ran in the March 24 election as a member of the Democrat Party.

Their responses came as the Future Forward and Pheu Thai parties vowed on Wednesday to file a legal challenge against the formula used by the Election Commission to allocate party-list MPs.

The official results, announced yesterday, saw 12 small and little-known political parties awarded one party-list MP seat each. The formula used, which the EC insists is legal and constitutional, lowered the expected minimum threshold for one seat from 71,000 votes to 33,754 votes.

Future Forward Party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul has petitioned the EC in protest of the formula. Pheu Thai, who did not gain any party-list MPs despite being the biggest winner of constituency seats, also vowed to file a legal challenge.

Based on official results, the anti-junta faction is now left with 245 seats – down from the projected 251 – and unable to reach the simple majority of 251 seats needed for a coalition government.

The Democrat Party, which commands 52 seats, will likely be the decisive factor in determining who sits in the next government. The party has yet to commit itself to any side.

The Democrats are also in the process of selecting a new leader, after its former chairman Abhisit Vejjajiva resigned in the aftermath of the party’s abysmal performance at the poll.

Additional reporting Teeranai Charuvastra

Election Count Finalized, Leaving No Clear Winner

By

Associated Press

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9 May 2019, 11:06

Leaders of the pro-junta Phalang Pracharath Party join a volunteer group on May 9, 2019, to clean streets in Bangkok

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Election Commission on Wednesday announced the final results of the March 24 general election – the first since a military coup in 2014 – that gave no party an absolute majority and likely will prompt legal challenges.

The commission distributed 150 party list seats in the 500-member House of Representatives under a complicated formula related to each party’s nationwide popular vote total. Twenty-six parties were granted seats, 14 of them one apiece, while one seat was held open pending a re-vote in one constituency where the winning candidate was disqualified.

The commission’s failure to clearly explain its formula had led to suspicions it might fiddle with the total. It has already been heavily criticized for releasing delayed and confusing preliminary vote totals, and was accused of tilting in favor of the military-backed Palang Pracharath party.

Read: EC Admits 27 Parties to Parliament, Setting New Record

Palang Pracharath was awarded 18 party list seats Wednesday, while the rival Pheu Thai party associated with fugitive former Prime Minster Thaksin Shinawatra received none.

On Tuesday, each party was allocated its share of the 350 constituency seats. Pheu Thai topped the field by winning 136 constituencies, while Palang Pracharath was second with 97 seats, though it received the most popular votes.

Neither party received a majority, and both are attempting to put together coalitions with smaller parties to form a government.

The explanation of the party list formula released by the Election Commission before the polls, as generally understood, would have denied seats to many of the smaller parties awarded them Wednesday. The formula as applied Wednesday instead benefited them, at the apparent expense of parties allied with Pheu Thai.

Pheu Thai issued a statement saying the Election Commission “deliberately intended to commit wrongdoing and misused its power, violating the constitution and the law. The party will later take legal measures in every aspect against the EC.”

The Future Forward Party, which shares Pheu Thai’s anti-military stance, has agreed to join it in a coalition and ranks third in seats. It also complained about the Election Commission’s actions, which lowered its seat total to 80 from a projected 87. Party Secretary-General Piyabutr Saengkanokkul called the commission’s calculations “absurd.”

Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army commander staged the 2014 coup and since then has served as prime minister, is Palang Pracharath’s candidate to continue in that position.

Prayuth should easily be able to return to office because the prime minister will be selected by a joint vote of the lower house and the appointed Senate, which represents conservative interests and essentially will be chosen by the military junta. But he will have a hard time if his foes control the lower house. Prayuth’s legal adviser has said he expects a new government to be seated by early June.

Thailand has been under military rule since 2014, when the military ousted a government led by Pheu Thai. The party is the main vehicle for supporters of Thaksin, a billionaire who became prime minister in 2001 with populist policies that won him support among the less well-off rural majority.

His popularity threatened the influence of Thailand’s traditional ruling class, led by the military and conservative royalists. He was ousted by an earlier 2006 coup amid accusations of corruption and abuse of power and went into exile to avoid going to prison on a conflict of interest conviction.

The coup set off a long and sometimes violent battle for power between his supporters and opponents, and 2014′s military takeover ousted a government formed by his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra. The military regime that took power instituted changes in the constitution and election law to try to prevent a comeback by Thaksin’s loyalists.

The party list system was established to benefit medium-size parties unable to win many seats in head-to-head constituency races, but with a large number of votes nationwide, while parties winning many constituency seats had a cap on the number of party list seats they could be awarded.

The Election Commission has already said the allocations may change anytime in the year after the vote, if winners or their parties are disqualified and new polls must be held.

Court Adds Jail Time for Jenphop’s Deadly Crash

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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9 May 2019, 10:55

Aftermath of Jenphop Viraporn's crash that killed two students on March 13, 2016,

AYUTTHAYA — The appeals court on Wednesday found a businessman guilty of killing two students in a car crash while under drug influence in 2016.

For the deadly DUI conviction, the jail term for Jenphop Viraporn, whose family owns a luxury car dealership, was increased from five to six years in prison. The charge was previously dropped by the lower court, citing insufficient evidence.

But the Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the suspect was under the influence of amphetamines when he slammed his Mercedes-Benz into the back of another car in Ayutthaya province, killing two graduate students inside.

The new sentence handed down on Wednesday was reduced to four years in jail because he provided useful testimony. Jenphop was granted bail while an appeal to the Supreme Court is ongoing.

Jenphop Takes Stand to Discuss Drug Use, Fatal Crash

Fresh Charge Against Jenphop as Model Student Victims Laid to Rest

‘Johnny’ the Viral Satirist Cat Dies at 14

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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9 May 2019, 10:38

A file photo of Johnny from his glory days

BANGKOK — Thai internet lost a much beloved internet icon on Thursday with the death of Johnny the Supalak Cat.

Johnny departed from his fandom last night after he fell ill earlier this week, according to his owner who announced the cat’s passing on his official Facebook page. Johnny, a member of Thailand’s Supalak breed, was 14.

The feline comedian gained fame on the internet after his owner began posting humorous photos of him donned in outfits relevant to current affairs – from a general uniform following the 2014 coup, to a monk robe at the height of the confrontation between police and the powerful Dharmakaya sect.

Tributes soon poured in from netizens who said Johnny brought much joy to the cyberverse.

57045352 1949469351829526 4765394123333042176 n — “The cat that Thai people want to play Songkran with the most” says the photo, which was posted after a survey claimed junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha was no.1 Songkran darling.

“I’ve been following this page for a long time. Thank you for the smiles and laughter you gave me,” Sasipong Yodcha wrote in a comment thread.

“I cried. Once, there was laughter and smiles from Johnny, but today there are no more,” Preuk Choosung wrote.

Johnny’s funeral will take place in his hometown of Ranong and continue through Saturday. His owner said everyone is welcome to join.

“I’m inviting all of you,” the page wrote. “Johnny’s home is rather far, but we’d be glad if you could make it here, because I want all of us to send him one last farewell.”

Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified Johnny’s hometown as Rayong. It is in fact Ranong.

China Says It Will Retaliate If Trump Raises Tariffs

By

Associated Press

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9 May 2019, 10:07

China Trade — Workers share cigarettes near a booth promoting Made in China with Chinese calligraphy for "China Trendy" in Beijing on Wednesday, May 8, 2019. China's exports fell in April amid a punishing tariff war with Washington, adding to pressure on Beijing on the eve of negotiations aimed at settling the fight over its technology ambitions. Photo: Ng Han Guan / AP

BEIJING — China said Thursday it will retaliate if President Donald Trump goes ahead with more tariff hikes in a fight over technology and trade, ratcheting up tensions ahead of negotiations in Washington.

Beijing will be forced to take “necessary countermeasures” if the increases go ahead Friday as planned, the Commerce Ministry said. It gave no details of possible penalties.

Trump threw global financial markets into turmoil with his surprise threat Sunday to raise import duties on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. Trump complained talks were moving too slowly and Beijing was trying to backtrack on earlier agreements.

“China deeply regrets that if the U.S. tariff measures are carried out, China will have to take necessary countermeasures,” said a Commerce Ministry statement.

Trump has raised import duties on $250 billion of Chinese goods starting last July over complaints Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology.

The negotiations also include complaints about China’s trade surpluses and plans for government-led creation of global competitors in robotics and other fields. Washington, Europe, Japan and other trading partners say those violate Beijing’s market-opening commitments.

Beijing responded with penalties on $110 billion of American imports, but is running out of goods for penalties due to their lopsided trade.

Chinese authorities already have extended retaliation beyond imports by targeting operations of American companies in China. Regulators have slowed down customs clearance for their shipments and delayed issuing licenses in finance and other industries.

Beijing has an array of other weapons including launching tax, anti-monopoly or other investigations that can hamper a company’s operations.

Pakistani Woman Acquitted of Blasphemy Headed to Canada

By

Associated Press

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9 May 2019, 10:03

ISLAMABAD — A Christian woman acquitted of blasphemy after spending eight years on death row in Pakistan, but who still faced death threats from Islamic extremists upon her release, flew to Canada on Wednesday to join her daughters, Pakistani officials and others involved in the case said.

Aasia Bibi was convicted of blasphemy in 2009 after a quarrel with two fellow farmworkers, who refused to drink from the same water container as a Christian. Five days later, the women said Bibi had insulted Islam, a crime punishable by death. Bibi was charged with blasphemy despite repeatedly denying the accusation. The Supreme Court overturned her conviction last year, and she had been in protective custody since then.

Islamic extremists have rioted over the case and threatened to kill Bibi. Even as word of her departure from Pakistan became known, the hard-line Tehree-e-Labbaik Party, whose single-point agenda is defending the controversial blasphemy law, threatened protests. The same party, whose leaders including firebrand cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi are in jail, also urged the overthrow of the government following Bibi’s acquittal. Rizvi’s bail hearing is May 13.

A close friend of Bibi confirmed that she had left the country. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Bibi’s lawyer, Saif-ul Malook, said Bibi had already arrived in Canada and officials in Pakistan’s interior and foreign ministries also confirmed her departure. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

“Obviously there are sensitive privacy and security issues on this and unfortunately I can’t comment on this at this time,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa as he prepared to meet legislators Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department issued a statement welcoming news of her departure, which was cloaked in secrecy.

“Asia Bibi is now free, and we wish her and her family all the best following their reunification,” the statement said. “The United States uniformly opposes blasphemy laws anywhere in the world, as they jeopardize the exercise of fundamental freedoms.”

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted his pleasure at Bibi’s departure.

“Fantastic news that Asia Bibi appears to have left Pakistan safely,” he tweeted, adding that he was about to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “to talk about persecution of Christians around the world.”

The case has brought international attention to Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law, which carries an automatic death penalty. The mere suspicion of blasphemy against Islam is enough to ignite mob lynchings in the country. Blasphemy allegations have also been used to intimidate religious minorities and to settle scores.

Radical Islamists have made the punishment of blasphemy a major rallying cry, bringing tens of thousands into the streets and paralyzing major cities. The Tehreek-e Labbaik party won three seats in last year’s provincial election on an agenda of defending the blasphemy law.

The reluctance of some local and foreign officials to speak openly of Bibi’s departure may reflect fears of igniting more violence.

Salman Taseer, governor of Punjab province, was shot and killed by one of his guards in 2011 for defending Bibi and criticizing the misuse of the blasphemy law. The assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, was celebrated as a martyr by hard-liners since being hanged for the killing, with millions visiting a shrine set up for him near Islamabad.

Even Punjab’s information minister made a pilgrimage to his shrine, generating a public outcry.

Pakistan’s minister for minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, was assassinated later in 2011, also after demanding justice for Bibi.

Taseer’s son Shaan, who spoke Wednesday to The Associated Press from Canada, said the fight against extremism is “the most important battle of our time.”

He said Bibi’s departure was reason to celebrate, but he said there are hundreds more people languishing in Pakistani jails on charges of blasphemy, including university professor Janaid Hafiz, who has been in jail since 2013 for allegedly blasphemous posts on Facebook, which he denies.

“It is a great day, a great moment but let’s not forget the 200 other Aasia Bibi’s in jail today on charges of blasphemy,” Shaan Taseer said. “These are the people on the front line. … These are the soldiers against extremism. They are facing the enemy up close and personal.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed not to be intimidated by the rioters, saying the rule of law would decide Bibi’s fate. Still, she was denied permission to leave the country for several months after her acquittal until sentiments cooled.

Bibi’s friend, who last spoke to her on Tuesday, said Bibi and her husband Ashiq Masih spent the last several weeks getting their documents in order. She received her passport last Wednesday, he said. He said she longed to see her daughters, with whom she spoke daily from her secure location, protected by Pakistani security forces.

On Wednesday, Taseer posted a video of Bibi’s daughter’s farewell message to her mother when they left Pakistan for Canada last year. Taseer said he waited until Bibi was safely out of Pakistan before posting the video.

“Their message was one of no regrets, no bitterness, just love and gratitude for all,” he said. “It takes very special people to have been through such ordeals and to come out with a heart full of love.”

A three-judge Supreme Court panel in January cleared Bibi’s final legal hurdle when they ruled there was no compelling reason to overturn the court’s earlier acquittal. The judges accused those who accused Bibi with blasphemy of committing perjury, but said they would not be tried because of the sensitivity of the case. The judges upheld the blasphemy law.

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Story: Kathy Gannon. Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

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