A court in Pakistan on Saturday sentenced four individuals to death for blasphemy after they were accused of posting sacrilegious content about Islamic religious figures and the Quran on social media. The defendants’ lawyer announced plans to appeal the verdict.
Blasphemy laws in Pakistan mandate severe penalties, including the death sentence, for insulting Islam or its sacred figures. While no death sentences for blasphemy have been carried out in the country, such accusations often incite mob violence and vigilantism.
Judge Tariq Ayub, presiding over the case in Rawalpindi, described blasphemy, desecration of the Quran, and disrespect toward holy figures as “unforgivable offenses,” allowing no room for leniency. In addition to the death sentences, the court imposed collective fines totaling 4.6 million rupees (approximately $16,500). Each defendant also received supplementary prison terms should their death sentences be overturned on appeal.
Manzoor Rahmani, the lawyer representing the four defendants, criticized the court’s decision, citing insufficient evidence and procedural flaws.
“The doubts and uncertainties in these cases are often overlooked by the courts due to fear of religious backlash or mob violence against judges if the accused are acquitted,” Rahmani said. “We are preparing to file appeals in the High Court.”
Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws, enacted during the 1980s, make it a criminal offense to insult Islam, desecrate its sacred texts, or defame religious figures. Critics argue that the laws are frequently misused to settle personal disputes or target minorities.
AP
