By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – A Pakistani court has sentenced Shagufta Kiran, a Christian mother of four, to death for “committing blasphemy against Islam,” a senior Christian advocacy activist told Worthy News Thursday.
Wednesday’s ruling by the Islamabad Cyber Court highlighted broader concerns about the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority Pakistan, suggested Farrukh H. Saif, the co-founder and director of the Emergency Committee to Save the Persecuted and Enslaved (ECSPE).
“Alongside the death penalty, Shagufta was fined 300,000 Pakistani Rupees ($1,077) in yet another controversial case under Pakistan’s stringent blasphemy laws,” he told Worthy News.
His group has closely followed the case and supports Christians facing what he views as trumped-up blasphemy charges.
Shagufta Kiran was detained in July 2021 after being accused of forwarding a message through the social media messaging service WhatsApp that purportedly contained blasphemous content, Christians said.
“The arrest occurred in the early hours of the morning, without a warrant, when armed agents from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raided her home in Islamabad,” Pakistan’s capital, recalled Saif.
“Alongside Shagufta, her two young sons, ages 10 and 12, were also taken into custody, though they were later released.”
ALLEGED CRIMES
The alleged crime dates back to September 2020, when Shagufta, a member of several interfaith WhatsApp groups, reportedly forwarded the controversial message.
In comments shared with Worthy News, her husband, Rafique Masih, said, “Shagufta forwarded the message without reading it and had no malicious intent.” The exact text wasn’t shared with Worthy News, but Worthy News established that even mild criticism about Islam is often perceived as blasphemy.
Yet, “despite this, she was charged under several sections of Pakistan’s Penal Code, including sections 295-A and 295-C, which pertain to insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The latter carries the death penalty, while the former is punishable by up to ten years in prison,” Saif said.
Shagufta’s family had to flee Islamabad “due to death threats from extremist groups after her arrest, and she spent days in custody enduring interrogation before being transferred to Adiala Central Jail,” he told Worthy News.
She is among several Christians and others languishing in jails in Pakistan on blasphemy charges. It was not immediately clear when and if she would appeal her sentence.
If carried out, the Christian woman would face the a gallow as hanging is the only legal method of execution in Pakistan, Worthy News learned. “The case of Asia Bibi, another Christian woman who was sentenced to death in 2010 under similar charges, drew worldwide attention and condemnation. Asia was acquitted in 2018 after spending eight years on death row, but her case underscored the vulnerabilities faced by minorities under these laws,” Saif said.
Shagufta Kiran’s sentence has sparked renewed calls for reforms. Critics argue that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are draconian, “disproportionately target religious minorities, and have been weaponized in personal disputes.”
Advocacy groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have condemned the laws as “inconsistent with fundamental human rights” and demand that Pakistan ensures fair trials and the protection of religious freedoms.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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