Facebook ‘blasphemer’ sentenced to death in Pakistan

Man faces being first to be executed for alleged insult on social media against Prophet Mohammed

AN ANTI-TERRORISM court in Pakistan has sentenced a man to death for allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed during an argument on Facebook, the first time the death penalty has been handed out over comments on social media.

Taimoor Raza, 30, was found guilty of blasphemy after he insulted the prophet and “disseminated offensive pictures”, according to anti-terrorism court officials in Multan, Punjab province. He was also convicted of “making comments against Sunni Muslim religious leaders” and insulting the prophet’s wife, they said.

The case marks the latest example of sweeping curbs on social media in Pakistan, where unfounded allegations of blasphemy have led to vigilante justice.

The exact content of the Facebook messages remains unclear – court officials in Multan refused a request to clarify the comments, saying they were too offensive to repeat.

Raza must now appeal against his case in Pakistan’s High Court, and failing that the Supreme Court, or face becoming the first person in Pakistan to be executed for blasphemy on social media.

Shafiq Qureshi, a local prosecutor, told The Daily Telegraph Raza was arrested at a bus stop after police caught him playing “offensive material” on his mobile phone. He said the phone was confiscated, which led to police discovering the social media posts and bringing blasphemy charges against him.

Raza’s brother alleged he was ensnared by counter-terrorism officials who led him into a “sectarian debate on Facebook”.

Human rights groups reacted with dismay to the decision, with Amnesty International demanding that the death sentence be quashed. Nadia Rahman, Amnesty’s Pakistan campaigner, said it was “a violation of international human rights law and sets a dangerous precedent”.

“The authorities are using vague and broad laws to criminalise freedom of expression. He and all others accused of ‘blasphemy’ must be released immediately.”

Saroop Ijaz, a lawyer for Human Rights Watch in Pakistan, said the use of the sentence in a blasphemy case showed “a dangerous escalation in an already toxic situation”. Raza was accused under Section 295-C of Pakistan’s penal code, which criminalises “using derogatory remarks… in respect of the Holy Prophet” and any remarks which incite “sectarian hatred”.

A spokesman for Facebook said it was “deeply saddened and concerned” by the death sentence, adding that it did not “provide any government with direct access to people’s data. We will continue to protect our community from unnecessary or overreaching government intervention.”