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Pakistan: Two Christian brothers sentenced to death for web blasphemy

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 19 Dec 2018

Pakistan: Two Christian brothers sentenced to death for web blasphemy

Islamabad: A Pakistani court has sentenced two Christian brothers to death for blasphemy in Pakistan, media reports said.

" Qaiser and Amoon Ayub from Lahore were sentenced to hang by a district judge after being convicted of insulting the Prophet Mohammed in articles and portraits posted on their website," reported Britain's The Telegraph newspaper.

The brothers fled from their nation in 2011 after they were first accused of the crime, reports said.

They, however, later returned home quietly.

The British newspaper reported: "Amoon, 38, was then arrested at the airport trying to leave the country a second time and Qaiser, 44, was also held. The pair have been in Jhelum prison since 2014."

Both men were convicted last week of the “use of derogatory remarks in respect of the Holy Prophet”, under strict blasphemy punishments covered by Pakistan's penal code, the newspaper report said.

“The prosecution has proved its case against both the accused beyond shadow of reasonable doubt,” Judge Javed Iqbl Bosal concluded in a 28-page ruling, as reported by The Telegraph.

The conviction needs to be confirmed by the high court and both of them can appeal against the judgement.

Muhammad Saeed, who made the complaint that led to the brothers' sentence told the Telegraph that “justice is done”.

The latest incident came to light just days after Pakistani woman Asia Bibi was acquitted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court recently.

Bibi was acquitted of blasphemy after spending eight years on death row.

She was released from Multan’s women prison in the light of the Oct 31 Supreme Court verdict that overturned her conviction and death sentence.

Pakistan had witnessed protests since Bibi was acquitted by the Supreme Court.