Van Dalen is verheugd over de nominatie van zijn fractie: ,,Veel mensen hebben wel gehoord van Asia Bibi, de Pakistaanse jonge moeder die gevangen zit op beschuldiging van blasfemie. Zoals Asia Bibi worden er jaarlijks vele tientallen Pakistanen, zowel christenen, als hindoes en moslims, onschuldig opgesloten. Als één van de weinigen biedt Joseph Francis met zijn organisatie concrete hulp aan deze mensen. Hij is onze nominatie meer dan waard.”

De Pakistaanse blasfemiewetgeving is vastgelegd in het Wetboek van Strafrecht en schrijft de doodstraf voor in geval van belediging van de profeet Mohammed. Het ontheiligen van de Koran wordt met levenslange celstraf bestraft.

Joseph Francis, christen en advocaat, heeft in 1992 CLAAS opgericht, het Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement. CLAAS staat jaarlijks tussen de 100 en 200 slachtoffers van de blasfemiewetgeving bij. Francis en zijn organisatie bieden rechtshulp, veilig onderdak en eventuele verhuizing aan. Van Dalen: ,,Ik hoop met deze nominatie en misschien de prijs het belangrijke werk van Joseph Francis een steuntje in de rug te geven."

Sakharovprijs

De Sakharov prijs is de belangrijkste prijs die het Europees Parlement verleent. De prijs is bedoeld ter ondersteuning van individuen en organisaties die opkomen voor mensenrechten en fundamentele vrijheden. In het verleden hebben onder andere Nelson Mandela en Kofi Annan de prijs gewonnen.

Het Europees Parlement bespreekt na de zomer de door de diverse fracties genomineerde kandidaten. Vervolgens wordt een shortlist van kandidaten gemaakt en beslissen de fractievoorzitters in november over de uiteindelijke winnaar. De prijs wordt in december uitgereikt.

Meer informatie over Joseph Francis:

Joseph Francis, founder and director of CLAAS (Center for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement)

• Founded in 1992, CLAAS, the Center for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, addresses the needs of victims of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, through legal assistance and other means. CLAAS takes on between 100 and 200 blasphemy cases per year.
• The organization has a multiethnic and multi-religious staff and works with blasphemy law victims irrespective of their ethnic or religious background: Muslims, Christians, Hindus and other groups.
• Joseph Francis is the founder and director of CLAAS. He is a Catholic and father of four children who all live outside Pakistan.
• The Pakistani blasphemy lawsare a set of legal provisions from the country's Penal Code (Art. 295-B and -C) that make defiling the Koran or insulting the prophet Mohammed punishable with life imprisonment or even the death penalty. There is widespread abuse of these laws as people try to settle personal scores with them or use them as an instrument of religious hatred. Every year several dozen people are convicted under the blasphemy laws by lower courts. Eventually they are always acquitted by Pakistan's higher courts, but often the victims still have to flee from persecution in their communities. Several innocent victims have been murdered in prison or after being released.
• Mr Francis and his organization do more than just offering legal assistance. They also try to help victims with shelter (safe houses) and with relocation if necessary. Mr Francis regularly speaks out against the blasphemy laws in the Pakistani and international media. He also travels regularly to Europe and North America to share the story of CLAAS and to raise funds. Mr Francis is aware of the possibility of his nomination for the Sakharov Prize and has gladly accepted it.
• Mr. Francis has been to the EP twice. The first time was in November 2011, on a personal visit to Peter van Dalen. The second time was in March 2012, when Peter van Dalen organized an exchange of views on the Pakistani blasphemy laws with Mr. Francis. On this second occasion many MEP's have heard from Joseph Francis himself an impressive story of working with innocent victims of the blasphemy laws under very difficult circumstances that include death threats.
• In June 2011 the UK's Queen Elizabeth II granted Joseph Francis the Honorary Award of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
• More information, including on the blasphemy cases CLAAS is working on, can be found on: http://www.claasfamily.com