Man serving life term in Pakistan for ‘blasphemy’ sentenced to death

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 13 (ANI): A local court in Pakistan has upgraded the life imprisonment of a Christian man to the death penalty for committing blasphemy through sending a blasphemous text message from his phone, according to media reports.
According to media reports somebody used the mobile of 58-year-old Zafar Bhatti and sent a text against Prophet Mohammad and “this became a blasphemy case against him,” Greek City Times reported.
Bhatti was charged in 2012 and found guilty and given a life sentence in 2017.
In October last year, the case was referred back to a trial court by Justice Abdul Aziz who said Bhatti should have been given the death sentence instead of life imprisonment, Greek City Times reported.
Last year, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had raised concerns about the recent surge in blasphemy cases being registered against sectarian and religious minorities.
“HRCP believes that the state has effectively abdicated its responsibilities under international human rights law by leaving those accused of blasphemy to the mercy of mobs, or trials that are marred by glaring legal and procedural flaws,” the rights group had said.
They said that the police must also refrain from registering blasphemy cases so promptly, knowing full well the sensitive implications of doing so when such complaints are often fabricated and spurred on by personal vendettas. (ANI)