Islamabad, — 19 September 2024 | A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) court in Rawalpindi has sentenced a Christian woman, Shagufta Kiran, to death after finding her guilty of blasphemy. The verdict follows her arrest on July 29, 2021, for participating in a religious discussion on a WhatsApp group named “Pure Discussion.” The complainant, Sheraz Ahmed Farooqi, alleged that her remarks were disrespectful towards Islam’s Prophet Mohammed.
[photo: private, used with permission]
Shagufta Kiran was charged under Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, alongside Sections 295-A, 298-A, 109, and 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code—offenses carrying severe penalties, including the death sentence for blasphemy. The ruling has left her family, particularly her four children, devastated by the court’s decision.
Rana Abdul Hameed, Shagufta’s defense lawyer appointed by the human rights organization Voice for Justice, argued that the charges against his client were baseless and motivated by personal grievances. He emphasized that, according to Pakistan’s legal framework, such cases require special government permission for registration—a requirement that was not met in this case. Hameed also pointed out the lack of credible evidence linking Shagufta to the alleged offense, raising concerns about the fairness of the trial. “The facts of the case raise significant doubts,” Hameed said. “In a fair trial, Shagufta Kiran should have been presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Jubilee Campaign, a Dutch-based organization, has been providing legal aid and is preparing to appeal at the high court.
The four children of Shagufta Kiran are devastated by the court’s decision to sentence their mother to death. “We have been crying since yesterday, and this news has brought even more pain and trauma to our entire family,” said Nidaal, Shagufta’s daughter. “For the past four years, we have suffered because of my mother’s case. She has been kept in an isolation cell since 2021. God has put us in a great trial,” Nihaal added in an interview with EU Today.
Joseph Jansen, advocacy officer at Jubilee Campaign in the Netherlands, expressed serious concern over the escalating misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan. He emphasized that religious minorities, especially Christians, are increasingly facing false accusations fueled by personal grudges, property disputes, or religious discrimination. “It is disturbing to see how easily blasphemy charges can be weaponized against religious minorities,” Jansen remarked. “The lack of accountability for false accusations has only encouraged this abuse. It is crucial for authorities to enforce legal provisions to penalize perjury, which could help deter the wrongful application of these laws.”
The court documents state Shagufta Kiran’s sentence. She is sentenced to death by hanging by the neck until her death can be confirmed. She is also sentenced to seven years in prison for violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, because the blasphemy was committed via WhatsApp. The court has imposed ‘rigorous imprisonment’ on Shagufta, which means imprisonment in a cell under extra difficult conditions.
Her family has previously told us that Shagufta Kiran spent the first three months of her imprisonment in a Kaal Khotri. This is an isolation cell with almost no light and where prisoners cannot lie down properly.
Shagufta Kiran, pleaded her innocence during the hearing:
“I am a poor Christian woman, and the complainant, in collusion with FIA officials, has made false allegations against me to appear in a better light in the eyes of the public. I did not commit the offence, and I can never imagine disrespecting the noble figures of Islam. I am a victim of the complainant, who is trying to impose their interpretation of Islam on me. As a Christian, I deeply respect my faith and believe it to be the true religion. Due to personal grudges and ulterior motives, I have been wrongly dragged into this false case.”
The Jubilee Campaign team is determined to fight on. Two of our lawyers have already withdrawn from this case due to death threats. Eventually, we have found a lawyer who has to come from another city, which has made the costs of defending Shagufta Kiran very high.
Jansen further urged the Pakistani government to take immediate action to prevent the misuse of blasphemy laws and called for urgent reforms. These reforms, he suggested, should include making blasphemy-related offenses bailable and ensuring that arrests and investigations occur only with proper judicial oversight. “We must address the disproportionate penalties imposed under the blasphemy laws,” Jansen remarked. “The government should also enforce measures to prevent the arrest of individuals without judicial warrants.”
Jansen also highlighted the broader implications of Pakistan’s blasphemy crisis, pointing to the violent attack on the Christian community in Jaranwala on August 16, 2023, where mobs armed with batons and sticks burned 26 churches and destroyed over 100 homes after allegations of Quran desecration. “A year has passed since the Jaranwala attack, yet the Christian minority still awaits justice,” Jansen said. “There has been no accountability for the perpetrators of this violence. The growing misuse of blasphemy laws and persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan require immediate global intervention.”
Rights organizations called on the Pakistani government to immediately release Shagufta Kiran and ensure her and her family’s safety.
They further urge the international community to speak out against the ongoing misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and to advocate for the protection of religious minorities and the preservation of fundamental human rights. They emphasize the importance of ensuring that Pakistan fulfills its obligations under the GSP+ status.