Pakistan Court Acquits Christian Man After 23 Years on Death Row
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Pakistan’s Supreme Court has acquitted Anwar Kenneth, a mentally challenged Christian man who spent 23 years behind bars on death row for “blasphemy” against Islam, Christians confirmed Friday.
Activists welcomed the ruling after years of campaigning against Kenneth’s initial blasphemy conviction. Kenneth, 72, was due to be released from prison by the weekend, Worthy News learned.
The court ruled that “a person of unsound mind” cannot be held criminally liable, marking a rare and significant decision over Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, trial observers said.
The three-judge Supreme Court bench — Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Shahzad Ahmed Khan, and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan — said Kenneth was “mentally unfit to stand trial” when “charged under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code” in 2001.
Kenneth, an ex-government official, was detained in 2001 for allegedly sending offensive letters containing “defamatory” remarks directed at religious leaders, diplomats, and heads of state.
“These letters led to the filing of a [first information report] FIR at the Gawalmandi Police Station in [the city of] Lahore, eventually resulting in his conviction under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, a controversial law criminalizing blasphemy,” noted Christian advocacy group LEAD Ministries Pakistan.
“On July 18, 2002, the Lahore Additional Sessions Court found Kenneth guilty of ‘defaming’ and ‘insulting’ the Prophet Muhammad, sentencing him to death and imposing a fine of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (about $1,800).”
PLAGUED BY DELAYS
Christians told Worthy News that Kenneth’s case “has been plagued by delays” and “procedural complications” since his conviction, with his appeal process repeatedly postponed.
“Over the years, his health—both mental and physical—has significantly deteriorated, intensifying concerns over his prolonged incarceration. In 2024, a psychiatric assessment confirmed that Kenneth was suffering from Bipolar Affective Disorder and was in a hypomanic state,” LEAD founder Sardar Mushtaq Gill told Worthy News.
Pastor Imran Amanat, the LEAD director, told Worthy News, “This is a long-overdue acquittal, but brother Kenneth’s 23-year ordeal exposes a serious failure in our legal and mental health systems.”
He added that blasphemy laws in Pakistan, a mainly Muslim nation, must never be enforced “without fair trial protections” and mental health evaluations. “This judgment should prompt a national reckoning with how we treat the vulnerable, especially religious minorities,” Gill stressed.
Gill, a longtime human rights attorney, added: “This decision reaffirms that mentally ill individuals cannot and should not be punished for crimes they cannot understand.”
However, he cautioned that Kenneth outside prison “is not safe — far from it. Despite his acquittal, he remains extremely vulnerable due to the hostile environment for those once accused of blasphemy in Pakistan.”
Gill stressed that the “state must ensure his protection and prevent mob violence. We are deeply concerned about his safety and well-being outside prison.”
GOVERNMENT ACTION
He said the “government must take immediate steps to provide him with a secure and dignified environment.”
The case highlighted that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are often used to target minority groups, especially Christians, according to rights investigators.
“A quarter of all blasphemy accusations target Christians, who make up just 1.8 percent of the population,” explained advocacy group Open Doors.
Although blasphemy laws carry a death sentence, executions have been rarely carried out. Instead, Christians languish for years in prison, with Kenneth being the longest known jail-serving Christian following his initial blasphemy conviction, Worthy News established.
However, people accused of blasphemy are vulnerable to attack or murder by mobs. In June 2024, an older man was reportedly killed by mob violence after being accused of desecrating the Koran, deemed a holy book by Muslims.
Additionally, “the 2023 attack on Christian homes and buildings in Jaranwala continues to contribute to a climate of fear,” Open Doors noted. “Historical churches have relative freedom for worship and other activities. However, they are heavily monitored and have been targeted for bomb attacks.”
Pakistan currently ranks 8th on the annual World Watch List of 50 nations where Open Doors says Christians face the most persecution for their faith in Christ.
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