Although Pakistani law provides for the death sentence for the crime of blasphemy, so far it has never been applied for this offence.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Friday convicted and sentenced Syed Muhammad Zeeshan to death after he was charged with post blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group (belonging to Meta, classified in Russia as an extremist organization). The sentence is based on the Law for the Prevention of Electronic Crimes and the Anti-Terrorism Law. Zeeshan, a Muslim, was also fined the equivalent of US$4,300 and sentenced to a total of 23 years in prison. The convicted person has the right to appeal, he reported.
In Pakistan, a Muslim-majority country, blasphemy can have serious legal and social consequences. Even unproven accusations can inflame the masses and generate violence. Human rights activists have warned that blasphemy charges are often used to settle personal scores.
Although the laws of the country contemplate the death sentence for the crime of blasphemy, until now it has never been applied for this offense. According to the National Justice and Peace Commission, a human rights and legal aid group in Pakistan, over the past 20 years, 774 Muslims and 760 members of various minority religious groups were charged with blasphemy.
Source: RT
