Christian Woman Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy in Pakistan

A Pakistani court sentenced Shaughta Karan, a Christian woman, to death for sharing derogatory material about Islam's Prophet on WhatsApp. She was also fined and imprisoned under different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Pakistan Electronic Crime Act. She can appeal within 30 days.

A court in Pakistan has sentenced a Christian woman to death on blasphemy charges. Shaughta Karan was accused of sharing derogatory material about the Prophet of Islam in a WhatsApp group in September 2020.

The Special Court in Islamabad found Karan guilty under Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries the death penalty. Judge Afzal Majuka also imposed a fine of Rs 300,000 on Karan and sentenced her to seven years imprisonment with an additional fine of Rs 100,000 under Section 11 of the Pakistan Electronic Crime Act (PECA).

Karan has the right to appeal the verdict within 30 days. Judge Majuka noted that the execution of the death sentence would only proceed after high court approval. Karan is the second Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy. The first, Asia Bibi, was acquitted after spending eight years in prison.

Blasphemy laws were introduced in the 1980s by former military ruler Ziaul Haq. According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), nearly 3,000 individuals have been accused of blasphemy since 1987, with 94 lynched by mobs between 1994 and 2023.

(With inputs from agencies.)