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Six and a half years after sharing a song on WhatsApp, a young Nigerian musician is still waiting for his country's Supreme Court to find a slot on its calendar.
Blasphemy
Anti-blasphemy laws, extreme penalties, and infringements on freedom of expression.
7 articles
Lahore court finally asks whether Facebook posts count as proof in lecturer’s blasphemy appeal
A Pakistani court has asked prosecutors to justify the admissibility and authenticity of the digital evidence used to convict Junaid Hafeez, a former lecturer on death row for blasphemy since 2019, whose appeal has been pending since 2020.
Sri Lankan migrant worker sentenced to death on appeal in Saudi blasphemy case
A Saudi appeals court has sentenced Sri Lankan Tamil worker Sivarasa Anojan to death for blasphemy over a Facebook comment, replacing an earlier five-year prison term. A Sri Lankan MP is now questioning how the government handled his appeal.
Pakistan's blasphemy laws at work again: two Christians could face death sentences
Two Christians in Pakistan have been charged under the country's blasphemy laws, including Section 295-C, which carries the death penalty. One case involves alleged remarks about Muhammad, the other a social media video.
Sokoto's Friday prayers end in a stabbing, a lynching and a police assurance that all is under control
In Sokoto, prominent cleric Sheik Musa Lukuwa, long accused of blasphemy, survived a knife attack after leading Friday prayers, while his still-unnamed assailant was promptly beaten to death by a mob. No arrests have been made, and police insist the situation is under control.
Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws Find Another Convenient Target: A 26-Year-Old Christian in Lahore
Samuel Arif, a 26-year-old Christian, has been arrested and placed on judicial remand in Lahore on blasphemy charges, after a mob beat him and police took him into custody. His family insists he was framed over a personal feud.
Promise kept: the Taliban deliver on their vow to flog women in public
In March 2024, supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada pledged to flog and stone women in public. Rights groups now count 2,745 people subjected to corporal punishment between February 2022 and April 2026, and the U.N. says 2025 broke every previous record.
