Originally published in Morning Star News A judge sentenced a Christian to life in prison under Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes for a social media message that relatives say was posted using a phone stolen from him, sources said. Fanson Shahid, 56, had been beaten in his home in Lahore when arrested in March […]
Tag: blasphemy law
Nigerian Christian to be tried for blasphemy after condemning woman’s lynching
Originally published in Christian Today A Nigerian mother-of-five is to be tried for blasphemy after she condemned the stoning to death of a Christian student. Deborah Samuel Yakubu was stoned to death and her body then set on fire by a mob of Muslim students in Sokoto, Nigeria, in May […]
UN writes to Nigerian government over Christian victims of blasphemy laws
Originally published in Premier Christian News Experts from the United Nations (UN) have sent a letter to the Nigerian government raising concerns over the country’s strict blasphemy laws. The letter is a result of appeals by religious freedom advocates, including ADF International, who say the laws are a violation of human […]
Pakistan Christian couple granted bail in landmark blasphemy decision
Originally published in Christian Today A Pakistani court has granted bail to a Christian couple accused of blasphemy, citing insufficient evidence. A rights group has called it a “landmark judgment,” which has sparked calls for changes to the nation’s controversial blasphemy laws. Kiran Bibi and Shaukat were granted bail on […]
1000 Pakistani Christians ‘terrorised’, sleep outdoors after homes ransacked in mob violence
Originally published in The Christian Post A thousand Christians have fled their homes and are now sleeping rough after they were targeted by rampaging mobs following an unsubstantiated allegation of blasphemy against the Quran in the town of Jaranwala. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reports that the level […]
Pakistan Christian sentenced to death for ‘blasphemous’ WhatsApp images sent by Muslim
Originally published in Catholic Herald A court in Pakistan has sentenced a Christian to death after he received cartoons of Mohammad, the founder of Islam, in a WhatsApp chat message to his phone. Nouman Asghar, 24, of Bahawalpur in Punjab, was convicted of blasphemy under 295-c of the country’s Penal […]
Iran executes two men convicted of blasphemy
Originally published in Persecution.org Iran executed two Iranian men for alleged charges of blasphemy. Yusef Mehrdad and Sadrullah Fazeli Zare were sentenced to death by hanging after they were arrested in May 2020 for sharing content that “insulted Islamic sanctities” and “insulted the prophet” Reports show that during their imprisonment, […]
Pakistan: priest accused of blasphemy freed from prison after paying exorbitant bail
Originally published in Christian Today A Catholic who spent more than three years in jail on a baseless blasphemy charge had to pay an exorbitant amount of bail for release this month, just one example of gross injustices against him and other Christians, his attorney said. The maximum amount for […]
Christian woman on trial for blasphemy in northeast Nigeria
Originally published in Christian News A Christian woman in northeast Nigeria is on trial after being held incommunicado for more than four months on blasphemy charges for forwarding a WhatsApp message, sources said. Rhoda Ya’u Jatau, 45, was arrested in Bauchi state in May after receiving a WhatsApp message from […]
Nigerian high court upholds Sharia court’s right to sentence man to death for blasphemy
Originally published in International Christian Concern Nigeria’s Kano State High Court doubled down on a ruling that the Sharia court system has the power to hand down death sentences in blasphemy cases. The decision blurs the line between what can be tried in Sharia court, raising concerns on the implications for […]