In Gujranwala, a court has handed down a death sentence to a 22-year-old student for alleged blasphemy involving WhatsApp messages
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In Gujranwala, a court has handed down a death sentence to a 22-year-old student for alleged blasphemy involving WhatsApp messages, as reported by the BBC on Friday.
The court found him guilty of circulating blasphemous images and videos with the intent to offend the religious sentiments of Muslims.
In connection with the same case, a 17-year-old has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Both individuals have denied any wrongdoing. The case originated from a complaint filed in 2022 by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime unit in Lahore, later referred to a local court in Gujranwala.
In this week’s verdict, the judges ruled that the 22-year-old was condemned to death for producing blasphemous content, while the younger defendant received a life sentence for sharing the material.
The plaintiff alleged to have received the incriminating videos and images from three different mobile numbers. The FIA confirmed the presence of “obscene material” on the plaintiff’s phone after examination.
The defense attorneys contended that the two students were ensnared in a fabricated case.
The father of the convicted individual on death row, whose identity remains undisclosed, informed the BBC of his intention to appeal the verdict in the Lahore High Court.
The court clarified that the minor student received a life sentence instead of capital punishment due to his age.