political27 Oct 2026
Pakistan Supreme Court upholds Christian man's death sentence for blasphemy
The Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld the death sentence of Qaisar Ayub, a Christian man accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad via a WordPress site in 2014, while acquitting his brother, Amoon Ayub, after 10 years in prison. The Organization for Legal Aid (OLA) reported that no evidence was presented proving the brothers' affiliation with the website, and cited a threatening atmosphere where mobs pressured judges to enforce the death penalty. This ruling follows a 12-year legal process involving multiple appeals and 13 postponed hearings. The decision has drawn international attention to Pakistan's human rights record, particularly as the nation was recently included in the top 10 list of countries for Christian persecution in the 2026 Open Doors World Watch List.