Former nurse and mother of four Shagufta Kiran (40) has been sentenced to death after being convicted of sharing blasphemous content on social media under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. This section of the notorious blasphemy laws deals with defamation of the prophet Mohammed and carries a mandatory death sentence.
Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka sentenced Shagufta to death on 18 September at the Federal Investigation Agency court in Islamabad and also sentenced her to seven years in prison under Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and a fine of 300,000 Pakistani Rupees (€970). The court ordered her continued detention in Adiala Central Jail, Rawalpindi.
Shagufta was arrested in July 2021 following a raid on her home in Rawalpindi by armed Federal Investigation Agency officers who accused her of forwarding a WhatsApp message containing blasphemous content. She belonged to an interfaith group called “Pure Discussion” where she defended her Christian faith and her husband Rafique Masih said she had unknowingly forwarded a message she received as part of the group, explaining, “She was not the author of the post, nor did she understand its content. She forwarded it without reading, unaware of the consequences.”
Shagufta’s lawyer Rana Abdul Hameed told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, “The complaint against Kiran was registered by a Muslim named Shiraz Ahmed Farooqi, who alleged that she had shared content disrespectful of Islam’s prophet. However, Kiran has maintained that she has not authored the content and had forwarded it in the WhatsApp group without reading it.”
He said Shagufta was a brave woman who remained steadfast during the trial. “I met her after the judge issued the sentence and can confirm that she is very hopeful of a positive outcome from the superior courts,” he said. “However, she misses her family a lot and wants to reunite with them as soon as possible.”
The lawyer said he is going to file an appeal in the Islamabad High Court and added that the verdict did not come as a surprise, as 99 percent of those charged under Section 295-C are convicted by trial courts under pressure from Islamists.
“If you examine all cases of 295-C, the trial courts tend to convict the accused even if the cases against them are very weak,” he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “This is due to the pressure of the religious groups and fears of mob violence. If you analyse all cases of 295-C, you will see that all the convictions of the trial court are overturned by the superior courts.”
UCA News reported that the lawyer commented, “We feel it’s a wrong judgment based on prejudice. The judge didn’t bother to look at the evidence or conduct a proper analysis.”
Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, said in a press statement, “This case highlights the urgent need for reform. Blasphemy laws are being weaponised to target religious minorities, causing untold suffering and injustice. The international community must take a firm stand and pressure Pakistan to implement safeguards against these abuses. The continuous use of these laws as a tool for persecution is alarming, and the government must prioritise reforms to prevent such miscarriages of justice. The international community cannot remain silent. It is crucial that we act now to prevent the further victimisation of innocent individuals under these harsh laws. Religious freedom and the protection of minority rights are fundamental to any democracy, and Pakistan must be held accountable for these ongoing violations.”
Family on the run
Following Shagufta’s arrest Rafique and their children were forced to flee due to threats and fear of violence and since then the family has moved multiple times. The constant displacement has severely disrupted the children’s education, with many academic documents lost or inaccessible.
Their daughter Nihaal Shagufta (20) told UCA News on 20 September that she last met her mother in 2023, saying, “I cried so much, but she consoled me.” Nihaal also said, “My father had to give up his job as a building contractor. He tried to keep working, but a Muslim acquaintance warned him against it.”
“We have been crying since yesterday, and this news has brought even more pain and trauma to our entire family,” Nihaal told EU Today. “For the past four years, we have suffered because of my mother’s case. She has been kept in an isolation cell since 2021. God has put us in a great trial.”
Hundreds incarcerated, dozens lynched
A report by the Centre for Social Justice states that nearly 3,000 people have been accused of blasphemy in Pakistan since 1987, although it notes that the actual scale of abuse of the laws may be three to four times higher. The report states that hundreds of accused were incarcerated in 2023, with 552 detained in Punjab province alone.
Between January and June 2024, 103 individuals were accused of blasphemy, and at least 350 people remained behind bars as of June. The report states that since January at least seven people accused of blasphemy have been killed by individuals or mobs across Pakistan and that 94 people accused of blasphemy were killed in mob attacks between 1994 and 2023.
Read Shagufta Kiran’s Prisoner Profile.
(Aid to the Church in Need, CLAAS-UK, Asia News, Morning Star News, UCA News)
Photo Credit: Morning Star News/Jubilee Campaign