MULTAN, Pakistan — A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced four individuals to death for allegedly posting sacrilegious material on social media about Islamic religious figures and the Holy Quran.
Judge Tariq Ayub in the city of Rawalpindi declared that blasphemy, disrespect to holy figures, and desecration of the Holy Quran were unforgivable offenses and left no room for leniency.
Along with the death sentences, the judge imposed collective fines of 4.6 million rupees (around $16,500) and handed down jail terms to each of the four should a higher court overturn their death sentences.
The men’s lawyer, Manzoor Rahmani, criticized the court’s decision and investigating authorities’ lack of evidence. “The doubts and uncertainties that arise in such cases are ignored by the courts, likely due to the fear of religious backlash and potential mob violence against the judge if the accused is acquitted,” said Rahmani. “We are preparing our appeals against the decision and will go to the High Court.”
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, enacted in the 1980s, criminalize insulting Islam or its religious figures. While no one has been executed under these laws, accusations of blasphemy often incite mob violence and reprisals.