Christian man falsely accused of blasphemy released on bail three times

LAHORE, Pakistan – A Christian who was falsely accused of blasphemy on three counts was released on bail this week after prosecutors failed to provide evidence against him, his lawyer said.

Zimran Asim, 35, was released on Wednesday after he was granted bail by the Lahore High Court on September 24 in the third blasphemy case registered against him, said lawyer Aneeqa Maria. The Supreme Court had granted him bail in the other two cases on July 29 and April 24.

She said Sargodha police arrested the Catholic on August 27, 2023 in the three cases registered under sections 295-A, 295-B, 295-C and 298-A of the blasphemy laws for alleged incidents on July 16, 20 . August and August 25th last year. Violations of 295-C and blasphemy of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are punishable by mandatory death.

Get our latest news for FREE

Subscribe to receive daily/weekly emails with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

All three judges who granted Asim bail had found that there was no direct evidence against him.

“Asim was implicated only because he was once seen with the main accused, Akash Masih,” Maria said. “While [the] During investigations, Masih told police he committed the crimes because he was angry at Muslims for persecuting Christians and burning down churches in Jaranwala. He had categorically cleared Asim, his long-time neighbor, of involvement, but the police still named him as an accomplice in the three cases.”

Asim, the father of a 4-year-old girl, was charged with blasphemy even though Masih admitted that he was not involved in acts of desecrating the Quran and writing blasphemous content in three places, Maria said.

Out of concern for his safety, Asim was taken to a safe place after his release, she said.

“His family has already gone into hiding after Asim was arrested and branded a 'spy' and a 'blasphemer',” Maria said. “Their house and all their belongings were stolen by local Muslims and the family is left with nothing to take back to their village.”

Asim's brother, Zeeshan Asim, earlier told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that a vicious campaign was launched against his family on social media after the Punjab Police Commissioner claimed in a press conference that the blasphemy incidents in Sargodha were at the behest of Asim was committed in a foreign country.

“Our photos were downloaded from Facebook and made viral on social media groups and pages, seriously endangering the safety of the entire family,” Zeeshan said earlier. “My elderly parents and siblings had no choice but to move out of the village.”

Maria highlighted the risks lawyers face in defending people accused of blasphemy, saying she and her team had faced threats and intimidation from Islamist groups.

“I believe that the blatant abuse of the laws has made the situation dangerous for blasphemy accused, their defense lawyers and rights advocates alike,” she said. “The government must take this issue seriously to protect innocent lives and break this environment of fear.”

Asim's release follows the release of another Christian who was jailed for blasphemy on October 23 after a high court found glaring gaps in the police case against him. Chand Shamaun was arrested on June 23 and charged with insulting Islam under Section 295-A of Pakistan's blasphemy laws and Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. Lawyer Javed Sahotra said.

Maria stressed the need to ensure fair trials in blasphemy cases in Pakistan, including an objective assessment of evidence and verification of the intentions behind alleged blasphemous acts.

“Zimran Asim's case is a fitting example of how innocent people are being implicated in false cases by both individuals and the police,” she said. “This poor man had to suffer in prison for over a year, separated from his family. They have also lost their homes and cannot even think of returning to their village.”

The situation has deteriorated to the point where police officers are now involved in extrajudicial killings of blasphemy suspects, she said.

“The government must act now to stop this trend of false accusations and restore the rule of law.”

The United Nations Human Rights Committee found on October 17 that Pakistani authorities have failed to curb a range of human rights abuses, including a sharp rise in blasphemy-related violence. The Committee expressed grave concern about the frequent attacks on religious minorities, including accusations of blasphemy, targeted killings, lynchings, mob violence, forced conversions and desecration of places of worship, and noted that Pakistani society has become increasingly intolerant of religious diversity.

“Religious minorities face a constant risk of persecution and discrimination in the face of increasing religious radicalism,” the committee said.

Like last year, Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.

Originally published at Christian Daily International–Morning Star News