Altar boy goes into hiding, could face death penalty over false allegation

A Christian altar boy in Pakistan has gone into hiding and could face the death penalty after he was accused of posting content on Facebook that some Muslims found offensive. He has denied the allegations and claims his own uncle created a fake account in his name.

Religious freedom advocates are raising alarm about the case of Asher Bhatti, a resident of the Nishter neighborhood in Lahore, accused of blasphemy along with his uncle.

A police complaint was filed against Bhatti and his uncle, Samuel Paul, on Sept. 16 by a resident named Muhammad Umair, who alleges the “Asher Bhatti” Facebook account shared material that blasphemed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The complaint alleged that the content caused public outrage among the local Muslim population.

Umair seeks prosecution of Bhatti and his uncle under Section 295-C of Pakistan’s penal code, a provision of the blasphemy law that is punishable by the death penalty or life in prison.

Religious freedom advocates have long criticized Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, saying Muslims too easily abuse them to settle personal scores or target religious minorities.

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