ASIA/PAKISTAN - Appeal of jurists to repeal the blasphemy law

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - In Pakistan it is necessary to repeal the blasphemy law: this is what the "International Commission of Jurists" an organization consisting of more than 60 eminent jurists from around the world, with headquarters in Geneva ask for in a report sent to Fides. The organization criticized this legislation defined as "cruel" also for the punishment it provides: life imprisonment or death penalty.
The jurists are asking the government to "modify it because so it is in line with international standards on freedom of expression; freedom of thought, conscience and religion", pointing out that the abuse of the law, used to resolve private disputes, regarding business or property is very common in Pakistan.
According to data of the "Justice and Peace" National Commission, 200 Christians, 633 Muslims, 494 Ahmadis, 21 Hindu have been charged with offenses related to "blasphemy" since 1987. But, given that religious minorities represent a very small percentage of the majority Muslim population "the number of Christians and members of other religious minorities accused is massively disproportionate to the number of Muslims accused, although the number of Muslims accused is overall higher".
Out of 25 cases of appeals at the High Court for blasphemy, the International Court of Justice - the report notes - found that in most cases (60%), the applicants were acquitted after judges ruled that the charges brought against them were "fabricated or used for personal or political reasons."
The Commission of Jurists immediately asks for the abolition of the death penalty for crimes of blasphemy and the urgent need to establish with certainty the intent of the offender, before condemning him. It also denounced the extrajudicial killings, remained unpunished, victims of whom are often those accused of blasphemy, although innocent. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 30/11/2015)

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