Pakistani man sentenced to death for blasphemous Facebook posts

30-year-old arrested after allegedly sharing derogatory content about Sunni leaders

A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to death over blasphemous Facebook posts. File photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Sun Jun 11 2017 - 12:28

A judge has sentenced a minority Shia Muslim to death for sharing blasphemous content about Islam on social media, a government prosecutor said.

Shafiq Chaudhry said Judge Shabir Ahmed announced the sentence for 30-year-old Taimore Raza on Saturday in Bahawalpur, a city in eastern Punjab province.

Raza was arrested last year for allegedly posting derogatory content about Sunni Muslim religious leaders and wives of the Muhammad on Facebook. Pakistan is a predominantly Sunni Muslim country.

Under Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws, anyone accused of insulting God, Islam or other religious personalities can be sentenced to death.