Christian Jailed on Blasphemy Charge Released on Bail
A Christian individual who has been incarcerated since June on charges of blasphemy and terrorism in Pakistan was granted bail on October 23, following a high court's identification of significant flaws in the police's case against him, according to his attorney.
Chand Shamaun was taken into custody on June 23 and faced accusations of insulting Islam under Section 295-A of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, as well as Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. He was alleged to have incited religious discord in Okara, Punjab Province, by threatening to desecrate the Quran, as stated by his lawyer, Javed Sahotra.
On October 10, a two-judge panel of the Lahore High Court, comprising Muhammad Tariq Nadeem and Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, approved Shamaun's bail petition. He is a father of two young children, aged 5 and 2.
Section 295-A stipulates a maximum imprisonment of 10 years for “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.” Meanwhile, Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act pertains to “acts intended or likely to stir up sectarian hatred,” punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Sahotra indicated that the high court recognized the First Information Report (FIR) filed against Shamaun by police Sub-Inspector Haider Ali as indicative of the police's ill intentions.
“The FIR against my client was lodged after a delay of 12 hours,” Sahotra informed Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “Furthermore, the police complainant was not present at the scene of the alleged incident. There were no independent witnesses; the sole witness cited by the police was actually a police informant, frequently utilized as a complainant or witness in fabricated cases. Most critically, the police failed to recover any evidence that directly implicated Shamaun.”
In light of the inconsistencies in the police's FIR and investigation report, the court ordered Shamaun's release on bail, secured by a surety of 100,000 rupees (approximately $362 USD). He was subsequently released from custody on October 23.
“Chand is now reunited with his family, although they are not residing in their home,” Sahotra remarked.
