July 6, 2024 at 2:25 a.m. by The Associated Press. . KARACHI, Pakistan  Dozens of members from Pakistan's civil society rallied on Tuesday in the southern port city of Karachi against the death sentence handed down to a Christian man on blasphemy charges, nearly a year after one of the worst mob attacks on Christians in the country. Several Christians also joined the rally which came a day after a court in Sahiwal in the Punjab province announced the death sentence to Ehsan Shan after finding him guilty of sharing "hateful content" against Muslims on social media. Shan's attorney Khurram Shahzad said Monday he will appeal the verdict. Shan was arrested in August after groups of Muslim men burned dozens of houses and churches in the city of Jaranwala in Punjab after some residents claimed they saw two Christian men desecrating pages from Islam's holy book, the Quran. The two men were later arrested. Though Shan was not party to the desecration, he was accused of reposting the defaced pages of the Quran on his TikTok account. At Tuesday's rally in Karachi, a Christian leader, Luke Victor, called for Shah's release. Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan. Under the country's blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious figures can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out a death sentence for blasphemy, often a mere accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynching and killings. . Copyright 2024, Arkansas DemocratGazette, Inc. All rights reserved. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas DemocratGazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2024, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio andor video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. All rights reserved.
Dozens of Pakistan's civil society and Christians protest against death sentence for Ehsan Shan on blasphemy charges. Shan accused of sharing "hateful content" on social media, sparking a mob attack. Blasphemy accusations common in Pakistan under strict blasphemy laws. Rally calls for Shan's release amid concerns of escalating violence.