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Man faces death penalty over whatsApp messages
A court in Punjab Province, Pakistan, has sentenced a 22-year-old student to death on charges of blasphemy over Whatsapp messages.
The court ruled that he shared blasphemous pictures and videos with the intent to outrage the religious feelings of Muslims.
A 17-year-old co-defendant received a life sentence in the same case. Both deny wrongdoing.
The complaint, filed in 2022 by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cybercrime unit in Lahore, accused the students of sharing offensive material.
The case was referred to a local court in Gujranwala, where the recent ruling took place.
The judges specified that the 22-year-old was sentenced to death for creating derogatory content about Prophet Muhammad and his wives. The younger defendant received a life sentence for sharing the material.
The defense argued that the students were “trapped in a false case.” The father of the death-row convict plans to file an appeal in the Lahore High Court.
The minor’s life sentence was imposed due to his age. Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan, and some individuals face violence even before their cases go to trial.
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The country’s blasphemy laws originated during British rule in India and expanded in the 1980s under Pakistan’s military government.Last August, accusations of Quran damage led to the burning of churches and homes in Jaranwala.
The ongoing use of blasphemy laws continues to raise concerns about human rights and religious freedoms in Pakistan.
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