The lawyers representing a 16-year-old Pakistani Christian boy accused of blasphemy report being intimidated and harassed.
Nabeel Masih was arrested for liking an "inappropriate" photograph on Facebook. He is accused of blasphemy charges for clicking the like button under an image of the Kaaba in Mecca, one of the holiest sites in Islam.
A Muslim alerted officers to the post saying he found it insulting to his religion, police said.
The teenager has been held in custody ahead of a trial. If found guilty he could face the death penalty.
Aneeqa Maria Anthony, head of the legal team representing the boy, said she was told by a lawyer for the Muslim to "watch herself and stay away".
A group of people attending a court hearing also threatened Masih's family.
During the hearing Amin Muzammal Chaudhry, a lawyer for the Muslim, said: "This man has blasphemed against Islam.
"You should know that Pakistan is an Islamic state. We are all Muslims. These are Muslim courts, so you should not defend such a criminal.
"You people come here from Lahore to pursue this case, but there are many people here whom you cannot see, so you better watch yourself and stay away."
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us
Article by Antony Bushfield
Antony Bushfield is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
