A Pakistani court condemns a teenager to life in jail and a 22-year-old to death for defaming the prophet of Islam

A defense attorney and authorities announced on Monday that a Pakistani court has found two teenagers guilty of insulting Islam’s prophet Muhammad, sentencing one to death and the other to life in prison.

Both had the option to appeal and have refuted the accusations.

Student Junaid Munir’s attorney, Aslam Gujar, told The Associated Press that his client was given the death punishment last week by the court in the Punjabi provincial city of Gujranwala.

The trial was based on allegations made in 2022 that Munir used WhatsApp to distribute blasphemous information.

A related case in the same court last week resulted in the conviction and life sentence of 17-year-old Abdul Hanan, according to court papers.

Remarks from Hanan’s family or attorney could not be reached right away.

Munir Hussain, Munir’s father, refuted the allegations made against his son and said that “my son is innocent and he was implicated in a false case.” He said he was in communication with his legal team to submit an appeal.

Over the phone, Hussain said that he and his family were living in hiding.

“I cannot give you any information about my exact location, as some people in our village believe that I should also be killed as I am the father of a boy who allegedly insulted Islam’s prophet,” he said.

“We follow Islam. We cherish our prophet. “My son is innocent, and no Muslim could possibly think of insulting our revered prophet,” he said.

Anyone found guilty of insulting religion or religious leaders in Pakistan may face the death penalty under the country’s blasphemy laws.

Even though there isn’t yet a death penalty for blasphemy, the mere allegation is enough to start rioting.

Human rights organizations both domestically and abroad claim that accusations of blasphemy are often used as a form of personal vendetta against religious minority and intimidation.

Muslims in the eastern Punjab province’s city of Jaranwala destroyed Christian houses and churches in August 2023 on the grounds that a Christian man had profaned the Quran, the sacred book of Islam.

The government and human rights organizations condemned the mob for demolishing the man’s home, setting churches on fire, and causing damage to several other residences.

Due to accusations of blasphemy, hundreds of people stormed a sports equipment plant in the Sialkot area in December 2021, murdering a man from Sri Lanka and setting his corpse on fire in front of witnesses.