A Pakistani woman has been beaten to death while in jail on blasphemy charges after allegedly burning a copy of the Koran, her lawyer has claimed.
Naseem Bibi, 45, died in a hospital in Lahore's Kotlakhpat jail, Pervez Aslam, her lawyer, said. He called for an inquiry. "It seems she was beaten and tortured by fellow prisoners because she was suspected of blasphemy against Islam."
Jail officials said yesterday that she died of heart failure.
Bibi and her two teenage sons had been awaiting trail since May 2002, when a neighbour told police the family set fire to a copy of the Koran, an allegation she denied. Blasphemy charges carry the death penalty.
Mr Aslam claimed his client was falsely accused because she had rejected the neighbour's advances.