Nouman Ashgar is sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan
"The magistrate ignored all the proceedings and all the evidence in favor of the accused. He only wanted to fulfill his 'sacred duty' of punishing an alleged blasphemer."
In Pakistan, Nouman Ashgar, 24, who had been accused of blasphemy with his cousin Sunny Mushtaq, has just been sentenced to death for blasphemy.
Bahawalpur Magistrate's Court issued the verdict on May 30 under Section 295-c of the Pakistani Penal Code.
Blasphemous drawings of the Prophet Muhammad had been found on his mobile phone and that of his cousin. According to their lawyers, whose comments were echoed by theAgenzia Fides, these cartoons were sent to the cousins by a young Muslim named Bilal Ahmad.
Lawyer Aneeqa Maria Anthony, from the NGO "The Voice", provides legal defense for Asghar and Mushtaq. "The magistrate ignored all the procedures and all the evidence in favor of the accused," she laments. "He only wanted to fulfill his 'sacred duty' of punishing an alleged blasphemer. We expect Sunny Mushtaq to suffer the same fate. They were arrested for a teenage game. Their families are suffering greatly. Our legal team at The Voice is doing everything to bring justice to them, helping their families and standing by their side in these dark and difficult times."
“Our hearts were broken today when our lawyer informed us of the death verdict. But our faith in Christ has not wavered, and we trust that God will deliver us from this suffering,” says the father. from Noman to Morning Star News.
Nouman's detention pushed his parents even further into precariousness.
"I work as a shop cleaner and I can barely manage household expenses on my meager salary. Since Noman's incarceration, I have accumulated a huge debt, as I have to meet his prison expenses every time he visits. However, this growing debt fueled by inflation is exacerbating our miseries. We call on our church and community leaders to help us during this difficult time."
MC
