Dozens of people demonstrate in Pakistan after a Christian is sentenced to death for blasphemy

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of members of Pakistani civil society demonstrated Tuesday in the country’s southern port city of Karachi against the death sentence handed down to a Christian man on charges of blasphemy, almost a year later one of the worst mob attacks against Christians in the country.

Several Christians also joined the demonstration, which takes place a day after a court in Sahiwal, in the province of Punjab, announced the death sentence for Ehsan Shan after finding him guilty of sharing “hateful content” against Muslims on social media.

Shan’s lawyer, Khurram Shahzad, said on Monday he would appeal the verdict.

He was arrested in August 2023 after groups of Muslim men burned dozens of homes and churches in the city of Jaranwala, Punjab, after some residents claimed to have seen two Christian men desecrating pages of Islam’s holy book, the Quran. The two men were later arrested.

Although Shan did not participate in the desecration, he was accused of reposting the defaced pages of the Quran on his TikTok account.

At Tuesday’s rally in Karachi, Christian leader Luke Victor called for Shah’s release.

He also demanded action against those who were involved in burning churches and houses of Christians in Jaranwala.

Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan. Under the country’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious figures can be sentenced to death. Although authorities have not yet carried out a death sentence for blasphemy, often a mere accusation can cause riots and incite crowds to violence, lynchings and murders.