During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons last week, David Cameron said that he would raise the issue of Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws with the country’s Prime Minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif. Cameron’s remarks came after Shafqat Emmanuel and his wife, Shagufta Kausar, became the latest Pakistani citizens to fall foul of the laws, receiving death sentences for a crime they almost certainly did not commit.In spite of being illiterate, the Christian couple were found guilty of sending a blasphemous text message in English from their mobile phone, which they had reportedly stolen. Sentenced to death on 4 April, their conviction came barely a week after Catholic man Sawan Masih was given the same sentence despite strong evidence pointing to his innoce
16 April 2014, The Tablet
In the shadow of the hangman’s noose
Crimes against Christians
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