Pakistans top court upholds Christian mans death sentence for blasphemy
Pakistans top court upholds Christian mans death sentence for blasphemy
Shock and anger greeted the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision to uphold the conviction and death sentence of a man accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad.
Supporters say that the decision has far-reaching implications for human rights in and for Pakistans standing on the international stage. The Open Doors 2026 World Watch List listed the Asian nation in its top ten list of countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.
CeCe Heil, Senior Counsel and International Legal Director for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), told Fox News Digital the case against brothers Amoon and Qaisar Ayub began in 2014.
Qaisar was arrested after a WordPress site displayed the Ayub brothers contact information and shared content that insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Amoon was arrested the following year. Heil says that in the 12 years of legal wrangling that followed, the Pakistani legal system has never presented evidence proving that either brother was truly affiliated with the offending WordPress blog site.
The ACLJ, through its Pakistani counterpart, the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), began representing Amoon shortly after his arrest in 2015. Both brothers were sentenced to death in 2018. They unsuccessfully sought appeal in the Lahore High Court in 2022. After a continuation at the Supreme Court in 2025, Qaisar asked the OLA to represent him.
Following years of arguments and 13 postponed hearings, an Oct. 7 verdict from the Supreme Court saw Amoon acquitted after some 10 years in prison, while Qaisars conviction and was upheld.
Heil said that a threatening atmosphere now attends many blasphemy hearings, where she says "mobs" commonly show up in courtrooms.
In one trial, she said that a mob filmed themselves saying that "if the judge does not enforce death by hanging, we will kill him by our own hands." She said another video shows a prominent lawyer involved in numerous blasphemy cases celebrating the 15-year journey that led to Qaisars sentencing. A translation of the description reads, "There is only one punishment for one who insults the Prophet: The death penalty for Qaisar Ayub."
Heil said the precedent set by the Supreme Courts decision could impact "every single person that is sitting in prison right now on blasphemy charges," which includes at least three OLA clients.
Other Christian men facing death include Shahzad Masih who was 16 years old when he was accused of blasphemy in 2017. He was sentenced to death five years later. His appeals have repeatedly been postponed in the years since 2022.
Intizar Masih is pending trial for a blasphemous post he is said to have shared on WhatsApp in 2023. Ahsan Masih was accused of posting blasphemous content to TikTok in 2023, and was sentenced to death the following year. His appeal hearings have also been postponed.
The OLA plans to file a review petition with the Supreme Court as early as this week, addressing the lack of evidence convicting Qaisar. They also plan to reach out directly to the Government of Pakistan to request support, including a presidential pardon for Qaisar.
Heil said that she finds it "very strange" for a country posturing itself as a "more tolerant" negotiator between world powers in the ongoing conflict in Iran to fail to protect the religious freedoms of its people.
