Christian couple on death row for 8 years cleared of blasphemy charges

Shafqat Emmanuel Masih and Shagufta Kausar were accused of sending blasphemous texts to an Islamic cleric. Christians in Pakistan

A Pakistani court has acquitted a Christian couple of blasphemy after nearly eight years on death row.

Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar were accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in text messages in 2013. 

Mosque leader Maulvi Mohammed Hussain said Emmanuel used his wife's phone to send him a number of blasphemous statements, including a message insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

However, the texts were written in English - a language the couple are not even able to speak. 

Despite this, they were charged with "insulting the Quran" and "insulting the prophet".

The couple have always maintained their innocence, while Emmanuel claimed that he was tortured into giving a false confession. 

After years in prison, the Lahore High Court acquitted the couple on Thursday and ordered their release. 

Saif-ul-Malook, the couple's attorney, told International Christian Concern he was "just happy to get justice for this couple."

Accusations of blasphemy against Christians and other minorities are common in Pakistan. The charges are serious, carrying a death penalty but human rights advocates say the laws are often misused to make false accusations often for personal gain or to settle vendettas. 

Even though blasphemy cases normally result in acquittals, it can be years before they reach the courts, and even after being acquitted, the accused are often forced to go into hiding because of death threats. 

Another victim of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, Asia Bibi, had to seek asylum with her family in Canada after being released following nearly a decade on death row in terrible conditions. 

ICC Regional Manager William Stark said it was "great to see such a prolonged blasphemy case justly resolved" but he said the couple remain unsafe, as do other Christians who are at risk of false blasphemy accusations.  

He called for urgent reform of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

"We remain deeply concerned for the safety of the Christian couple and their family," he said.

"Extremists in Pakistan are known to target individuals accused of religious crimes, like blasphemy, even after they have been acquitted.

"The abuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws must be curbed, and false allegations must be rooted out and punished.

"Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minorities.

"Without reform, religious minorities will continue to face false blasphemy accusations and the violence that often accompanies these accusations."

News
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?

It will be interesting to see if the Scottish government goes down the route of investing in quality palliative care, or whether Liam McArthur's defeated assisted suicide bill is simply resurrected in another form.

Nick Timothy stands by criticism of Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square
Nick Timothy stands by criticism of Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square

Shadow justice minister Nick Timothy is standing by claims that a mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square was “a declaration of domination” that should never be repeated.

Britain’s culture of giving is becoming more 'fragile' as donations fall
Britain’s culture of giving is becoming more 'fragile' as donations fall

A major new report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has raised fresh concerns about the state of charitable giving in the UK, showing that total public donations fell sharply in 2025 as fewer people gave and average gifts became smaller.

UK urged to press Nigeria on violence against Christians during historic Tinubu visit
UK urged to press Nigeria on violence against Christians during historic Tinubu visit

A coalition of Christian and human rights organisations has called on the UK government to use President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Britain to press for stronger protections for Christians and other vulnerable communities in Nigeria, amid continuing concern over deadly attacks and weak accountability.