• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT CHINA
    • NEWS
    • TESTIMONIES
    • OP-EDS
    • FEATURED
    • GLOSSARY
    • CHINA PERSECUTION MAP
  • FROM THE WORLD
    • NEWS GLOBAL
    • TESTIMONIES GLOBAL
    • OP-EDS GLOBAL
    • FEATURED GLOBAL
  • INTERVIEWS
  • DOCUMENTS AND TRANSLATIONS
    • DOCUMENTS
    • THE TAI JI MEN CASE
    • TRANSLATIONS
    • EVENTS
  • ABOUT
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
  • TOPICS

Bitter Winter

A magazine on religious liberty and human rights

three friends of winter
Home / From the World / News Global

Pakistan: Another Christian Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy

01/17/2022Marco Respinti |

Zafar Bhatti’s life term was converted into a death sentence in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court granted bail to another Christian accused of blasphemy.

by Marco Respinti

Zafar Bhatti, charged for blasphemy. From Twitter.
Zafar Bhatti. From Twitter.

Yet another Christian had been sentenced to death in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy. Zafar Bhatti, 56, was in jail since 2012, accused of having sent text messages offensive to Islam.

In 2017, Bhatti was sentenced to life in jail (which in Pakistan in fact corresponds to a 25-year term). When his lawyer tried to obtain bail and argue against the conviction, Judge Sahibzada Naqeeb of the Rawalpindi Court on January 3 took the opportunity for converting the life sentence into the death penalty. The judge argued that the new text of Section 295-C of Pakistan blasphemy laws now only includes death penalty as punishment.

Bitter Winter has been told that within the local Christian community itself there is some criticism of Bhatti’s lawyer, who should have taken his case to the Supreme Court rather than seeking bail or contesting the conviction before the Rawalpindi Court.

In general, blasphemy is regarded as a non-bailable offence, as is the case in Pakistani law for those punished with the death penalty. However, courts have occasionally bailed suspects of blasphemy. The Supreme Court never did it, but on January 6, just three days after Bhatti’s conviction, it issued a historical decision granting bail to Nadeem Samson, a Christian accusing of having posted blasphemous anti-Islamic content on Facebook.

The legal rationale for granting bail to Samson, who was accused of a non-bailable capital offence, was a Pakistani procedural norm that allows for bailing suspects of capital crimes when the trial has not been concluded within two years and the suspect’s defense was not responsible for the delay. The Supreme Court found that Samson had been in jail for four years, and the defense had not adopted any dilatory tactic and in fact had insisted for an early trial date.

Samson is now free, although not finally acquitted of the charge, while Bhatti remains in jail, destined to execution unless the Supreme Court intervenes. Poor lawyering may have a responsibility in Bhatti’s case. However, this does not excuse the Pakistani authorities who maintain in their laws the death penalty for blasphemy, nor the biased judges that in cases of blasphemy easily accept trumped up charges.

Once again, the international community should intervene, and tell Pakistan that Bhatti’s execution would not be tolerated.

Tagged With: Pakistan

Related articles

  • The Chitrali Case: In Pakistan, MPs Can Insult Religious Minorities and Get Away with It 

    The Chitrali Case: In Pakistan, MPs Can Insult Religious Minorities and Get Away with It 

  • Pakileaks: A Secret Document Reveals Pakistan’s Unholy Alliance with China

    Pakileaks: A Secret Document Reveals Pakistan’s Unholy Alliance with China

  • Pakistan: To Join Bar, Ahmadi Lawyers Are Asked to Deny Their Faith

    Pakistan: To Join Bar, Ahmadi Lawyers Are Asked to Deny Their Faith

  • Pakistan, Two Teenagers Falsely Accused of Blasphemy and Detained

    Pakistan, Two Teenagers Falsely Accused of Blasphemy and Detained

Keep Reading

  • UN: Pakistan Should Halt Forced Conversions, Marriages of Christian and Hindu Girls
    UN: Pakistan Should Halt Forced Conversions, Marriages of Christian and Hindu Girls

    Six Special Rapporteurs wrote to the government of Pakistan. They have now decided to publish their letter.

  • Former Islamic State Commander Says Terrorist Group Financed from Pakistan
    Former Islamic State Commander Says Terrorist Group Financed from Pakistan

    Sheikh Abdul Rahim Muslimdost said the December 2022 attack against the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul was just “theatre” organized to deny the connection.

  • Pakistan: Yet Another Ahmadi Mosque Vandalized in Punjab
    Pakistan: Yet Another Ahmadi Mosque Vandalized in Punjab

    A peaceful religious community continues to be persecuted, including during the holy month of Ramadan.

  • Thailand and Pakistan: No Friends of Uyghur Refugees
    Thailand and Pakistan: No Friends of Uyghur Refugees

    Recent cases highlight the danger of forced repatriation that Uyghur refugees face in Thailand and Pakistan, casting a disturbing shadow over Muslim states’ connivance with the CCP crimes.

Primary Sidebar

Support Bitter Winter

Learn More

Follow us

Newsletter

Most Read

  • Sinicization of Christianity Comes to Hong Kong by Gladys Kwok
  • Is Netflix a Threat to Religious Liberty? by Massimo Introvigne
  • Trial for the Dissolution of the FECRIS: The Anti-Cultists Lose the First Round by Massimo Introvigne
  • The Last Words of a Uyghur Father: A Son’s Memory by Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur
  • China: Theological Seminaries Inspected to Check How “Sinicized” They Are by Zhang Chunhua
  • Falun Gong: Xu Na’s 8-Year Sentence Confirmed On Appeal by Yang Feng
  • Yang Taoming: “China’s Tony Robbins” Detained by Zhao Zhangyong

CHINA PERSECUTION MAP -SEARCH NEWS BY REGION

clickable geographical map of china, with regions

Footer

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief

MASSIMO INTROVIGNE

Director-in-Charge

MARCO RESPINTI

ADDRESS

CESNUR

Via Confienza 19,

10121 Turin, Italy,

Phone: 39-011-541950

E-MAIL

We welcome submission of unpublished contributions, news, and photographs. Each submission implies the authorization for us to edit and publish texts and photographs. We reserve the right to decide which submissions are suitable for publication. Please, write to INFO@BITTERWINTER.ORG Thank you.

Newsletter

LINKS

orlir-logo hrwf-logo cesnur-logo

Copyright © 2023 · Bitter Winter · PRIVACY POLICY· COOKIE POLICY