CBN.com Global Lane interview with RedeemTheOppressed.org About Christian Couple Death Sentence

The family was residing in abject poverty with their four children in a Gojra Church mission facility in Punjab, Pakistan. A phone purportedly registered in Shagufta’s name allegedly sent profane text messages to a cleric and a lawyer on June 18, 2013. On July 21, 2013, Shagufta and her husband Shafqat were detained and accused of blasphemy.

The issue is that they reported losing their cell phone to the manager of the neighborhood phone shop a few days prior. Shafqat is also wheelchair-bound and disabled. Shagufta is not educated.

A judge just gave them a death sentence despite the absence of proof. Since the couple’s incarceration at the time, their four children had not seen them and were hidden under the care of their Grandfather by our team with funds for food/supplies:

(At the time)

12-year-old Zain

10-year-old Danish

8-year-old Joshua

6-year-old Sara

According to Keith Davies of RedeemTheOppressed.org, the judge stated in private that if he did not order the execution of Shafqat and Shagufta, he would be killed. The Christian couple has filed a notice of appeal. Although no one has been publicly punished for blasphemy in Pakistan, hundreds have been murdered by crowds after being falsely accused of the offense. To force Shafqat into a false confession, torture was used. Shagufta was threatened with being stripped naked and forced to cross town as they beat the man. Shagufta and Shafqat received the death penalty from a session court. In June 2021, the Lahore High Court cleared them of all charges after they filed an appeal.

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