Pakistan reinstates death penalty, Christians fear blasphemy charges

Pakistan recently reinstated the death penalty for all eligible offenses after a seven-year moratorium on capital punishment.

A government official said the death penalty should only be handed down “strictly as per law and only where all legal options and avenues have been exhausted and mercy petitions … have been rejected by the president,” according to the BBC.

But human rights groups said the justice system in Pakistan is broken and spoke out against the decision, which could especially affect religious minorities.

In December 2014, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reintroduced the death penalty in terrorism cases, the day after the Taliban attacked and killed more than 100 people, mostly children, at a school in Peshawar, according to Reuters.

Since that partial end to the moratorium, Amnesty International said Pakistan has executed 24 people. In February, the human rights group criticized the execution of two men whose crimes were not connected to terrorism, calling it a “disturbing and dangerous escalation.”

The reinstatement for all capital offenses means people found guilty of crimes including adultery, apostasy, and blasphemy could face death once they run out of appeals. This is especially concerning for Christians and religious minorities in the Islamic country due to inequalities in the justice system and blasphemy laws.

Kristin Wright, advocacy director for Open Doors USA, called Pakistan’s justice system “flawed” and noted unfair trials are common.

“We’ve seen time and time again that there is immeasurable injustice in Pakistan’s criminal justice system, with a rampant culture of police torture, inadequate counsel, and unfair trials,” Sarah Belal, Justice Project Pakistan’s executive director, told BBC News.

Wright said reinstating the death penalty was “deeply concerning” because it “will put a lot of Christians at risk,” mainly because they are so marginalized in society. Pakistan is a difficult place for Christians, ranking eighth on Open Doors’ World Watch List. Over the weekend, a suicide bomber attacked two churches in Lahore, leaving at least 14 dead.

Blasphemy accusations can include anything said or done against Muhammad or even something that insulted a Muslim. But the law often is abused and used to take revenge on others. False accusations are common, Wright said.

In the high-profile case of Asia Bibi, the Christian mother was accused of blasphemy for touching a cup of water designated for Muslim co-workers. For this, she was dragged to prison by an angry mob. She has been on death row for four years.

Last fall, a court of appeals ruled against overturning Bibi’s conviction. She is now at the mercy of the country’s Supreme Court, according to German news outlet Deutsche Welle.

Amnesty International estimated 8,000 people are on death row in Pakistan, one of the largest death row populations in the world.

“I know that efforts are already underway to contact Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on behalf of Christians,” Wright said, adding people concerned for Christians in Pakistan should pray.