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

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

He said the Sargodha police had arrested the Catholic man on August 27, 2023, in the three cases registered under Sections 295-A, 295-B, 295-C and 298-A of blasphemy statutes for incidents allegedly They took place in July. August 16, 20 and 25 of last year. Violations of Article 295-C, blaspheming the Islamic prophet Muhammad, carry the mandatory death penalty.

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The three judges who granted bail to Asim noted 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. “During (the) investigation, Masih told the police that he had committed the crimes because he was angry at Muslims for persecuting Christians and burning churches in Jaranwala. He had categorically cleared Asim, his lifelong neighbor, of involvement, but the police still named him an accomplice in all three cases.”

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

Asim was moved to a secure location after his release due to concerns for his safety, he said.

“His family is already in hiding after Asim was arrested and branded a ‘spy’ and ‘blasphemer,’” Maria said. “The local Muslims have taken over their house and all their belongings, and the family has nothing left to return 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 chief claimed in a press conference that the blasphemy incidents in Sargodha were carried out at the behest of a foreign country.

“Our photographs were downloaded from Facebook and went viral on social media groups and pages, putting the safety of the entire family at serious risk,” Zeeshan said earlier. “My elderly parents and siblings had no choice but to move out of the village.”

Maria highlighted the risks faced by lawyers defending people accused of blasphemy and said she and her team were subject to threats and intimidation from Islamist groups.

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

Asim’s release follows that of another Christian jailed on blasphemy charges on October 23 after a higher court noted obvious gaps in the police case against him. Chand Shamaun was arrested 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. He was charged with inciting religious tensions in Okara, Punjab province, by threatening to desecrate the Quran said lawyer Javed Sahotra.

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

“Zimran Asim’s case is a fitting example of how innocent people are implicated in false cases by both individuals and the police,” he said. “This poor man was forced to suffer in prison, away from his family for over a year. “They also lost their home and cannot even think of returning to their village.”

The situation has deteriorated to the point that police officers are now implicated in extrajudicial killings accused of blasphemy, he claimed.

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

The United Nations Human Rights Committee observed on October 17 that Pakistani authorities have failed to curb a series of human rights violations, including a sharp rise in blasphemy-related violence. Expressing serious concern over frequent attacks on religious minorities, including accusations of blasphemy, targeted killings, lynchings, mob violence, forced conversions and desecration of places of worship, the committee stated that Pakistani society has become increasingly intolerant of diversity religious.

“Religious minorities face a constant threat of persecution and discrimination amid the rise of religious radicalism,” the committee stated.

Pakistan was ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the hardest places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.

Originally published in International Christian Journal–Morning Star News