Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman who spent nearly a decade on death row accused of blasphemy, is speaking about her ordeal in a new book.

The memoir Enfin Libre, or Finally Free, has been published in French by Éditions du Rocher and is co-written by French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet.

An English edition is to be released later this year.

It charts Asia’s long and painful journey to freedom, from when she was first accused by colleagues in 2009, to her conviction in 2010 and eventual acquittal in 2018, before finally being able to start a new life as a free woman in Canada with her family last year.

In an excerpt, she asks: “How could I ever imagine in 50 years that I would become a global symbol of the fight against religious extremism when I am but a simple, illiterate peasant?

“From my small windowless cell, I often wondered why Pakistan was targeting me. You may know my story through the media, you may have tried to put yourself in my place in order to understand my suffering,” she said. “But you are far from understanding my daily life in prison or my new life and that’s why, in this book, I will explain it all.”

Extracts from the book shed light on the cruelty of guards and other inmates as she recalls one occasion when her neck was ‘encased in an iron collar that the guard can tighten with a huge nut’. In another harrowing memory, she recounts: “I am startled by the cry of a woman. ‘To death!’ The other women join in. ‘Hanged! Hanged!’”

Journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet tried to visit Asia many times during her imprisonment but was denied.

She adds, “Asia has a sort of natural authority. At home, she’s the boss: you sit down at the table when she decides to sit down.

“But she’s also very funny: without speaking the same language, we laughed a lot about small situations that would make some people smile but which make her laugh out loud. She’s also lively and intelligent. She’s gained a lot of perspective over all these years and is able to see who really helped her and who used her for selfish political gain. She’s very clear-headed.

“Asia Bibi is sad to have left Pakistan but she wants to continue to be a spokesperson for all the people unjustly accused of blasphemy, especially Christians. And there are still many: shortly after she left prison, a new Christian, Kausar Shagufta, a mother of four children aged between 5 and 13, replaced her in her cell. She was sentenced to death for blasphemy.

“According to the Imam of a local mosque, she and her husband sent text messages in Eng-lish insulting the Prophet. Facts that are all the more unimaginable because they are both illiterate. Yes, there’s still a lot of work to be done!”

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