Christians Await Outcome of Death Sentence Under Pakistan's Blasphemy Law

May 29, 2002


It has been one year since the Lahore High Court confirmed the death
sentence that had been handed down against jailed Christian Ayub Masih. It
was final - he would be executed by hanging. His crime - blasphemy against
the Prophet Mohammed.


The 35 year old Christian, Ayub Masih, a mason by trade, was arrested on
October 14, 1996. Ayub is the second eldest among 11 children. Ayub's family
has also suffered anguish as a result of the blasphemy accusations. For the
past five and a half years since Ayub's arrest, the lives of his entire
family have been disrupted. They live under a constant fear for their lives
and continue to receive numerous threats from Muslim radicals.

Ayub's mother, Bishera Bibi, last year expressed her frustrations to a
representative of the Washington, DC based human rights organization
International Christian Concern (ICC): "Our lives are always in danger and
many times we had given up hope that we would ever have our son back. We are
unable to get justice in the courts." Discouraged and frustrated, Bishera
spoke through her tears saying, "He is suffering for a crime that he has
never committed."


Today, Ayub Masih and his family are still holding out hope that his death
sentence will be overturned by Pakistan's Supreme Court. More than a dozen
cases have been filed against Christians as a result of Pakistan's blasphemy
laws, Penal Code 295-B & C. However, no Christian has yet been executed
under the law. Concerning Ayub's case, the court could pass down a favorable
ruling any day, providing a judge doesn't succumb to intimidation from the
radical Muslims, which often has been the case. In 1997, a judge was
murdered after acquitting two Christians charged under the blasphemy laws.


Ayub's attorney, Abid Hasan Minto, is appealing the death sentence based on
a legal technicality that requires the local authorities to prove the
reliability of a witnesses before charges can be filed. Minto is confident
that this approach will result in Ayub's acquittal.

From his prison cell, Ayub continues to hold on to his faith in God. In an
earlier visit with Ayub at his prison cell, he told an ICC representative:
"I am tortured and forced by Muslim inmates to convert to Islam, but I
refuse to obey them. The behavior of the jail authorities and Muslim inmates
is inhumane."


Ayub has been tortured several times while in Jail by Muslim inmates and the
jail authorities. The food and conditions in the jail have been poor. Many
times during the winter months he was denied a blanket or heater. As a
result, he is suffering from poor health. On numerous occasions he suffered
torture in an attempt to force him to convert to Islam, but despite the
abuse he has refused to give in.

Although President Musharraf promised he would eliminate the blasphemy laws
after he seized power in a 1999 coup, he has failed to take any action in
abolishing the laws.


Another blasphemy case that ICC is following is that of accused Christian
Aslam Masih (unrelated to Ayub Masih). Aslam was arrested in 1998 and
charged in Faisalabad for having "defiled a copy of the Koran." He has
already been sentenced to two life sentences. This sentence was handed down
earlier this month during the time that the U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom released its third annual global report. The report
charged Pakistan of committing "grave violations of religious freedom."


Contact: Steve Snyder (301) 989-1708

International Christian Concern

Washington, DC

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