The Associated Press (AP) reported that a Pakistani court sentenced a 22-year-old student to death and gave a teenager life in prison on Monday under the country’s blasphemy laws. The 22-year-old student’s lawyer, Aslam Gujar, told the AP that Junaid Munir had been sentenced to death last week.

The charges come as a result of alleged blasphemous WhatsApp messages. Munir’s father maintains that his son is innocent, and they are set to appeal the conviction.

Chapter XV of the Penal Code concerning offenses relating to religion provides that “whoever by words, either spoken or written … defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life.” The code also criminalizes defiling the Qur’an, “uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings,” and disturbing religious assembly.

Blasphemy accusations in Pakistan are serious matters that can spark unrest. In August 2023, after attacks on Christian communities, Rehab Mahamoor at Amnesty International (AI) wrote, “Vicious mob attacks are just the latest manifestation of the threat of vigilante violence which anyone can face in Pakistan after a blasphemy accusation – with religious minorities disproportionately vulnerable.” AI urged Pakistan to repeal these laws and stated that they violate human rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and freedom of expression under Articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

In August 2023, a Pakistan spokesperson announced the arrest of two Christian brothers for blasphemy. The two were accused of ripping pages from the Quran. Additionally, in January 2022, a woman was sentenced to death as a result of blasphemous WhatsApp messages.