The Pakistani Supreme court has acquitted Asia Bibi of blasphemy charges Wednesday and ordered that she be released. 

Bibi, who is a Christian, was arrested in 2009 and charged with blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an. That's a charge punishable by death in Pakistan. 

If she was not acquitted then she would be hanged. Instead, she is now a free woman after nearly a decade.

Tensions had been growing recently as the Court considered the case. Muslim fundamentalists have threatened violence if she was acquitted. 

The BBC reports that "the landmark ruling has already set off violent protests by hardliners who support strong blasphemy laws."

Clashes with police have been reported at demonstrations against the verdict, which are being held in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan.

According to Mudassar Saeed, an executive producer for the Pakistani news source Geo News, the Chief Justice Asif Khosa said in his ruling that, “Blasphemy is a serious offence but insult of the appellant’s religion and religious sensibilities by the complainant party and then mixing truth with falsehood in the name of the Holy Prophet PBUH was also not short of being blasphemous.”

Still not safe

Bibi likely will not be safe, however. CBN News points out that others who have previously been freed on blasphemy charged have been murdered by extremists. 

"Clearly she will need asylum in a western country where she can live out the remainder of her days in peace," Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christians Association, told CBN News.