A Pakistani court has sentenced four young men to death for allegedly posting blasphemous content against Islam on social media, a prosecuting attorney said Jan. 27. The condemned men, who are Muslim, are between 20 and 32 years old and are from Punjab province.

A member of the Voice of the Victims of Blasphemy Business Group, a support group formed by families affected by the alleged blasphemy charges, requesting anonymity told UCA News that ?three of them are from Lahore, while one is from Bahawalpur. They were trapped in the same pattern of being lured into social media groups where controversial content was shared. They were also tricked into saving the blasphemous content on their phones and sharing it with others.?

?Their parents are worried and are at a loss about what to do. Their lawyer was hopeful of the acquittal, but the judges were not ready to listen to our pleas. Everything looks preplanned,? he added.

A lawyer, Nasir William, a member of the advocacy group Center for Social Justice (CSJ), expressed concern about the growing persecution of Christians and alleged cases of blasphemy in Pakistan, which have risen sharply in recent times.

?Activists are slowly holding press conferences urging government authorities to intervene and provide long-overdue redress to these victims. The National Assembly Standing Committee will discuss this issue in a session on Jan. 27 evening. At least these victims have a right to appeal in a higher court,? William said.

Figures from CSJ show that last year 343 people were charged with blasphemy, including 19 Christians, five of whom were women.

In Pakistan, blasphemy against Islam and its founder is considered a serious crime punishable by life imprisonment or death. Some critics point out that, in many cases, Pakistan?s blasphemy laws are manipulated for private monetary or personal gain.

In addition, groups dedicated to reporting young people who share ?blasphemous material? on social media have proliferated. At the end of 2024, Shagufta Kiran, a Christian and mother of four children, was sentenced to death for allegedly spreading blasphemous messages through the WhatsApp messaging service.

In the midst of the hostile environment for Christians in Pakistan, the figure of Akash Bashir stands out, a young Salesian who sacrificed his life in 2015 to prevent a terrorist attack at his church and who is today considered ? by Muslims and Christians ? as a symbol of unity in the country.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CAN?s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CAN. (National Catholic Register: Text, Excluding Headline)

?Supporters of a religious group march during a rally in support of Khalid Khan, who killed a man accused of blasphemy, in Peshawar on July 31, 2020. (photo: Abdul Majeed/AFP via Getty Images / Abdul Majeed/AFP via Getty Images)

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