Sen. Paul says he spoke to Trump about securing asylum for Pakistani Christian woman
By ALENA SADIQ
11/15/2018
Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday he has spoken to President Donald Trump about securing asylum for Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman whose conviction for blasphemy was recently overturned by the Pakistani Supreme Court, leading to widespread riots across the country.
Paul told CNN he is worried that Bibi will be killed or convicted again if she remains in Pakistan. She was on death row for eight years before her conviction was overturned last month. After Bibi was freed, the government negotiated with the rioters, agreeing not to let her leave the country and to allow a petition against the court's decision to move forward.
"They will probably convict her again,” Paul said. “And if she goes through all of that — she has already spent eight years in prison on death row, which has to be a horrific experience — I'm worried that she won't survive.”
He said he found Trump sympathetic to the plight of Christians globally, referencing the president's efforts to secure the release of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who was jailed in Turkey.
“I have talked to the president about this, and I can't characterize his position, but I know from his concern for the pastor in Turkey and working to get that pastor out that it would be consistent with what they did with the pastor in Turkey to help get Asia Bibi out, and I hope they will,” Paul said.
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