Pakistani Court Sentences Christian Woman to Death for Blasphemy
Court convicts Shagufta Karen of sharing offensive content on social media; second Christian woman in Pakistan to receive death penalty for blasphemy.
A Pakistani court on Thursday sentenced a Christian woman to death in a blasphemy case. The woman, Shagufta Karen, was accused of sharing offensive content about the Prophet Muhammad on a WhatsApp group in September 2020. The special court judge, Afzal Majuka, found Karen guilty under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries the death penalty.
In addition to the death sentence, the court also imposed a fine of PKR 300,000 on Karen. Furthermore, under Section 11 of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), the court sentenced her to seven years in prison and an additional fine of PKR 100,000. The judge stated in a brief order that Karen has the right to appeal the decision in the High Court within 30 days. He clarified that the sentence would only be carried out after the High Court’s ruling.
Karen is the second Christian woman to receive a death sentence for blasphemy in Pakistan. Previously, Asia Bibi was sentenced to death on similar charges and spent eight years in prison. However, she was acquitted in October 2018 by a Supreme Court bench headed by former Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa. Following her acquittal, Bibi relocated to Canada with her family.
In a related incident, Pakistani police shot and killed a blasphemy suspect in what marks the second such killing in a week. The deceased, identified as Dr. Shahnawaz from Umarkot in Sindh province, was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad and sharing blasphemous content on social media. He had gone into hiding following the accusations.
According to local police chief Niaz Khosa, the killing was accidental. Officers signaled a motorcycle carrying two individuals to stop. One of the riders opened fire, prompting the police to return fire, resulting in the death of Dr. Shahnawaz.
These incidents highlight the sensitive and often volatile nature of blasphemy accusations in Pakistan, where such allegations can lead to severe legal consequences and extrajudicial actions.
Court convicts Shagufta Karen of sharing offensive content on social media; second Christian woman in Pakistan to receive death penalty for blasphemy.
