Two Pakistani Christians sentenced to death for blasphemy

Two Christians have been sentenced to death in Pakistan on blasphemy charges, the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) said on December 14.  Qaisar and Amoon Ayub, from Lahore, were arrested in 2015 after one of the two was accused of posting offensive material against Islam on their website. Qaisar and his wife Amina have three children, whilst his brother, Amoon is married to Huma, a teacher at Lahore Cathedral School.

The allegations surfaced in 2011 when they were accused of posting disrespectful material on their website; however, the accused say that their website has been inactive since 2009.

The two brothers have been held in Jhelum District Jail since their arrest. Their case was heard on December 13 inside the jail due to security reasons.   Additional Session judge Javed Iqbal Bosal found them guilty and sentenced them to death.    

CLAAS, an interdenominational organization dedicated to the victims of religious intolerance, has been representing the accused and now plans to appeal the sentence before the Lahore High Court.

Source: Vatican News