Court sentences Christian woman to death over blasphemy on social media
A special court in Islamabad has sentenced a Christian woman to death for blasphemy in a social media post.
Judge Afzal Majoka of the Islamabad Special Court established under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act announced the verdict on Thursday.
The woman was convicted under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which carries the death penalty for blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The court also imposed a fine of Rs300,000 on the woman.
Additionally, she was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 under Section 11 of the PECA Act.
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The court ordered that the woman be hanged until death.
However, the woman will be allowed to appeal the decision within 30 days.
Following consultations with Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, the federal government established special courts to handle cases under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act in July this year.
Shagufta Kiran has become the second Christian woman to receive a death sentence in a blasphemy case.
Previously, Asia Bibi was sentenced to death on similar charges and spent eight years in prison. In October 2018, a bench led by former CJP Asif Saeed Khosa accepted Bibi’s appeal against the decisions of a local court and the Lahore High Court, finding the charges against her to be baseless and acquitting her.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Bibi left the country with her family.
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