Christian dies in jail cell in Pakistan

A Christian man charged with blasphemy died on March 15^th in a jail cell in Pakistan. Qamar David was awaiting an appeal of his blasphemy conviction in Karachi. He had been in jail since 2006. Although prison authorities say that he died of a heart attack, church leaders and human rights activists have been demanding that the cause of death be ascertained independently.

“While there is no proof either way at the moment, it is true to say that both Qamar David and his lawyer received threats of violence regularly throughout the course of his time in prison, and at nearly every court hearing in his case,” says a representative of Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

“While it is true to say the blasphemy laws are misused against religious minorities, and this can have very serious and disproportionate consequences for the accused and their family and friends, I also want to underline that these are laws than can affect any single person in Pakistan. We know that about 50%, even over 50%, of accusations are made against Muslims. This is not just a religious minority issue, and it is one that the whole country should see as relevant to their own lives.”

Listen to the full interview by Charles Collins with Christian Solidarity Worldwide: