A Pakistani court sentenced a Christian man to death after finding him guilty of blasphemy for insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad in text messages he sent to a Muslim co-worker in 2013, a defence lawyer said on Thursday.
Saiful Malook said his client, 37-year-old Asif Pervaiz, was convicted and sentenced this week in the eastern city of Lahore. It was the latest example of the Islamic nation’s strict upholding of blasphemy laws.
Mr. Malook said the court rejected Pervaiz’s denial of the charges and he plans to appeal.
Mr. Pervaiz was accused of blasphemy by Muhammad Saeed Khokher, a supervisor in a hosiery factory where Pervaiz worked. During his trial, Pervaiz claimed he was accused after he refused to convert to Islam.
Prosecutors, however, submitted evidence that Mr. Pervaiz sent text messages to Khokher that contain insulting remarks against the Prophet, according to a court document. Mr. Khokher in his testimony denied pressuring Mr. Pervaiz to change his religion.
Under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, anyone accused of insulting Islam or religious figures can be sentenced to death if found guilty.
The latest development comes weeks after a Pakistani man killed an American, Tahir Naseem, inside a courtroom in Peshawar, where he was on trial for blasphemy. Naseem had been arrested two years ago after he allegedly declared himself Islam’s prophet.
