A Christian man accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammad has had his death sentence upheld by Pakistan’s Supreme Court, while his brother has been allowed to walk free after being acquitted of the same conviction.
Qaisar Ayub was arrested in 2014, and Amoon Ayub was arrested a year later after a website with their details displayed shared content which allegedly insulted Mohammed.
The brothers were sentenced to death in 2018 and, in 2022, unsuccessfully sought an appeal in the Lahore High Court. After 10 years in prison, Amoon Ayub’s conviction has been overturned while Qaisar Ayub’s death sentence has been upheld.
CeCe Heil, senior counsel and international legal director for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), told Fox News that the Pakistani legal system has never presented evidence that either brother was linked to the offensive content.
ACLJ has been representing Amoon Ayub through their Pakistani partner the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA) before his 2015 arrest, and has represented Qaisar Ayub since last year.
Heil is warning that the decision made by the highest court in Pakistan could affect ‘every single person sitting in prison right now on blasphemy charges’.
OLA plans to file for a review petition on the grounds of lack of evidence convicting Qaisar Ayub. They also plan to request support from the Government of Pakistan, which could include a presidential pardon.
The Ayub brothers are not the only Christians who have faced the persecution of blasphemy charges in Pakistan.
Shahzad Masih was accused of blasphemy in 2017, aged just 16 and sentenced to death, with repeated postponed appeals since 2022.
Intizar Masih is awaiting trial for a blasphemous post he is alleged to have shared on WhatsApp in 2023.
Ahsan Masih was sentenced to death after being accused of posting blasphemous content on TikTok; his appeal hearings were also postponed.
Christian persecution charity Open Doors ranks Pakistan as the eighth most dangerous country to be a Christian on their World Watch List.
Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reported that persecution of Christians in Pakistan had worsened into 2026.
Nearly 1,000 people signed a petition calling for global religious freedom in August, with a Pakistani Christian speaking on why he had to flee his homeland.
A Christian medic’s pharmacy, clinic and home was set on fire earlier this month after being accused of sharing blasphemous content online.
And a Christian family was spared from a violent attack by a mob after intervention from local muslims in July.