Blasphemy
Pakistan: Four sentenced to death for blasphemy
A Pakistani court has sentenced four individuals to death and fined them $16,000 on 'blasphemy' charges.
According tor reports, they were sentenced for allegedly posting sacrilegious materials about the Koran and Islamic figures.
The men were identified as Rana Usman, Ashfaque Ali, Salman Sajjad, and Wajid Ali, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
"The doubts and uncertainties that arise in such cases are ignored by the courts," Manzoor Rahmani, a lawyer for the sentenced men, told the website.
He said: "[This is likely] due to the fear of religious backlash and potential mob violence against the judge if the accused is acquitted."
As per US Commission on International Religious Freedom website, in Pakistan, blasphemy accusations, whether true or false, often lead to lengthy prison sentences on death row and solitary confinement, foment violence towards religious minorities, and in some cases, the killing of the accused.
Many instances illustrate the use of blasphemy allegations to settle personal vendettas, leading to acts of violence before charges can be drafted or presented to a court.
In many cases, there is no punishment for those who offer false accusations or perpetrate vigilante violence.
According to advocacy groups, more than 2,100 people have been accused of blasphemy in Pakistan since 1987, with 40 currently on death row and at least 89 killed by mobs for blasphemy accusations.
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