An anti-terrorism court docket in Pakistan on Saturday sentenced a Christian man to dying for allegedly sharing a “blasphemous” video on a social media platform regardless of a scarcity of proof, his lawyer mentioned.
Sahiwal District Anti-Terrorism Choose Ziaullah Khan sentenced 27-year-old Ehsaan (nickname “Shan”) Masih underneath Part 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries the dying penalty for blasphemy towards Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.
Masih's lawyer Khurram Shahzad Maan mentioned Masih testified that he categorically denied creating or posting any blasphemous content material on social media.
“The police recovered Masih's telephone from his home and despatched it to the Punjab Forensic Science Company (PFSA) for examination,” Maan advised Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. “The PFSA report concluded that no defamatory materials was discovered on the accused's telephone or TikTok account.”
The police officer was the complainant towards Masih and all of the prosecution witnesses have been additionally police officers, the lawyer mentioned.
“Although there isn’t a direct proof towards Masih, the court docket relied on the testimony of prosecution witnesses and sentenced him to dying, which is a gross miscarriage of justice,” Maan mentioned.
Masih was additionally sentenced to 10 years imprisonment underneath Part 295-A for blasphemy and was convicted underneath Part 11 of the Prevention of Digital Crimes Act (PECA) and Part 7(1)(a). g) of the Act towards -Terrorism Act, which ends up in imprisonment for seven years or 5 years respectively.
Sahiwal police arrested Masih on 19 August 2023, accusing him of sharing a video on his TikTok account containing the letter, which sparked riots in Jaranwala on 16 August by Muslims enraged by its alleged blasphemous content material.
Maan mentioned the First Data Report towards Masih was initially registered underneath Sections 295-A and 295-B (defiling the Quran) of the Blasphemy Act, together with sections regarding digital crimes and counter-terrorism.
“Part 295-C, which carries the necessary dying sentence for insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad, was added later on the insistence of the prosecutor,” he mentioned. “To incorporate Masih in 295-C is absurd as a result of he didn’t say or write something defamatory towards the Prophet Muhammad; he was simply accused of sharing an alleged blasphemous letter.”
The protection lawyer mentioned the cruel verdict was unwarranted because the case was a transparent case of “no proof”.
“The letter in query has been circulating on social media due to the Jaranwala incident and it’s a incontrovertible fact that Ehsaan Masih didn’t write it,” he mentioned. “Additionally, nobody witnessed him importing or sharing the controversial letter on his social media account.”
A authorized assist group organized for Maan to offer authorized help to an impoverished Masih who labored in a brick kiln.
“We’re devastated by the decision,” Masih's older brother, Yousaf Masih, advised the Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information, “however we belief within the Lord to make a means for my brother's freedom. We’re on the lookout for a great lawyer to problem the decision within the Lahore Excessive Courtroom.”
The household belongs to the Related Reformed Presbyterian Church in Sahiwal, he mentioned.
Minority Alliance Pakistan (MAP) president Advocate Akmal Bhatti mentioned the decision contained evident loopholes.
“The prosecution has not supplied concrete proof to help the costs whereas all of the witnesses have been police officers,” Bhatti mentioned. “Witnesses have acknowledged on file that the video was not made or shared on social media of their presence.”
Even when Masih shared the video with out contemplating the results, at greatest he must be charged underneath PECA legal guidelines, Bhatti mentioned.
“It’s a incontrovertible fact that he didn’t say or write something offensive to the Prophet of Islam, nor did he commit any terrorism, so his conviction underneath these sections is pointless,” Bhatti mentioned.
The MAP chairman additionally criticized the police for including terrorism prices to blasphemy circumstances.
“That is taking place primarily underneath strain from Islamist extremist teams concentrating on minority communities, particularly Christians,” he mentioned.
The superior judiciary should be aware of this harsh sentence in addition to the gaps within the prosecution's case and settle for Masih's enchantment, he pressured.
The president of the Nationwide Council of Church buildings in Pakistan, Bishop Azad Marshall, was additionally crucial of the decision.
“The video in query has been broadly circulated on social media since August 16, 2023 and was even current on the telephones of a number of Muslims, together with police officers,” Marshall mentioned. “Does it make all these folks blasphemers? Completely not.”
Marshall mentioned the disproportionate sentence additionally confirmed Christians' fears that justice can’t be anticipated from the courts of blasphemy suspects.
“In additional than 90 % of blasphemy circumstances, the courts convicted the defendants though there was no proof towards them,” he mentioned. “That is taking place due to concern and strain from non secular teams. Our judges don't notice the agony victims must endure for years in jail till superior courts eliminate circumstances based mostly on flimsy proof.”
On the similar time, the identical courts are greater than keen to grant bail to perpetrators of religiously motivated violence, he mentioned.
“Within the Jaranwala circumstances, just a few are anticipated to be delivered to justice as most of these concerned within the assaults on church buildings and Christian properties have gone free on bail,” he mentioned. “This discrimination within the administration of justice doesn’t bode properly for the nation.”
On August 16, a mob attacked a number of Christian properties in Jaranwala, ransacked greater than 20 church buildings and destroyed not less than 100 homes following false accusations of blasphemy towards two Christian brothers. An anti-terrorism court docket in Faisalabad later acquitted the 2 brothers of blasphemy prices. In line with the police, the brothers have been accused by one other Christian who had a private enmity in the direction of them.
Police registered 22 circumstances underneath the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act and arrested greater than 100 folks for the riots in Jaranwala, however nobody has been convicted to this point.
As within the earlier 12 months, Pakistan was ranked seventh on the record of probably the most tough locations for Christianity within the Open Doorways 2024 World Watch Listing.
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