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Pakistan: Court Acquits Two Christians Accused Of Blasphemy Leading To Jaranwala Riot

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A court in Faisalabad, Pakistan has acquitted the two Christian men who were falsely accused of committing blasphemy offenses that led to major riot in Jaranwala on Aug.16 last year, Morning Star News reports.

The Jaranwala riot saw thousands of Muslims burning down church buildings and raiding Christian homes. With harsh anti-blasphemy laws in place, Islamic ruled Pakistan ranks seven on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

Faisalabad Anti-Terrorism Judge Muhammad Hussain ordered the acquittal of Christian brothers Rocky and Raja Saleem on March 1, MSN reports. The brothers had been charged with “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings” (Sections 295-A), defiling the Quran (295-B) and derogatory remarks about Muhammad (295-C), which carries a mandatory death penalty. They were also charged under Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which pertains to the “prohibition of acts intended or likely to stir up sectarian hatred.”

Judge Hussain ordered the Saleems’ acquittal after a police investigation revealed they had been framed by three other people from their Christian community who held a grudge against them, MSN reports. Those three people have now been arrested and charged with blasphemy.

“The brothers are free and are with their family now,” the Saleems’ attorney Tahir Bashir told MSN. “However, it is not safe for them to return to Jaranwala due to a serious threat to their lives. Though they have been acquitted from the court, there have been multiple instances where people accused of blasphemy have been killed by vigilantes despite being found innocent by the courts,” Bashir added.

In a website statement about the situation facing Christians in Pakistan, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization noted: “The devastating attack on the Christian community in Jaranwala in August 2023 was a sobering reminder of the hostile environment facing many believers in Pakistan. The attack on more than 20 churches and almost 100 homes was in response to allegations that two believers had desecrated the Quran.”