Twenty people accused of being involved in the brutal killing of a Christian couple in Pakistan more than three years ago have been acquitted.
They had been suspected of links to the lynching and burning alive of Shahzad Masih and Shama Shahzad in Punjab province in November 2014.
Masih and Shahzad, who were 26 and 24 at the time of their deaths, were targeted by a mob in the town of Kot Radha Kishan following accusations they disrespected Islam by tearing pages out from a Quran.
The couple was thrown into an industrial kiln in an attack which demonstrated how an allegation of blasphemy - true or false - has sometimes prompted vicious violence in Pakistan.
An anti-terrorism court in Lahore sentenced five men in November 2016 to death over the murders of Masih and Shahzad - who was four months pregnant.
Eight other men who were part of a group involved in the attack were jailed for two years.
According to Associated Press, the 20 people acquitted by a Pakistani court on Saturday were indicted in the case at a later stage.
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us