Pakistan's Supreme Court Upholds a Christian Man's Death Sentence for Blasphemy, Even as New Cases Fall

Qaiser Ayub of Lahore remains on death row after the top court rejected his appeal; his brother Amoon was acquitted after about a decade in prison. Lawyers plan a review petition and a plea for clemency.

Pakistan's Supreme Court has upheld the blasphemy conviction and death sentence of Qaiser Ayub, a Christian from Lahore, while acquitting his brother, Amoon Ayub, for lack of evidence, according to reports this fall by Fox News and the Indian news site ThePrint. The court's ruling was issued Oct. 7 and became widely known in late October.

The case

The brothers were accused in 2014 of publishing content insulting the Prophet Muhammad on a website registered in Qaiser's name. According to ThePrint, Qaiser has said he shut the site down in 2009 and that an acquaintance later revived it while leaving his name in the copyright information. The brothers left Pakistan for a time; Qaiser was arrested after returning to Lahore in 2014, and Amoon in 2015. A trial court sentenced both to death in 2018, and the Lahore High Court upheld the convictions in 2022.

The charge falls under Section 295-C of Pakistan's penal code, which carries a mandatory death sentence for insulting the Prophet.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which works with the brothers' Pakistani lawyers, says no evidence was presented proving either brother was connected to the blog. CeCe Heil, the ACLJ's senior counsel, told Fox News the ruling could affect "every single person that is sitting in prison right now on blasphemy charges." In September 2025, United Nations experts wrote to Pakistan's government that the death penalty had been imposed "despite an apparent lack of conclusive evidence," according to Fox News. Pakistan's government replied that the executive is "constitutionally prohibited from intervening in individual cases."

The brothers' lawyers at the Organization for Legal Aid plan to file a review petition with the Supreme Court and to ask for a presidential pardon, Fox News reported. A State Department spokesperson said the United States "is concerned about religious freedom in Pakistan and throughout the world."

Fewer cases, same law

The ruling comes as the number of new blasphemy accusations in Pakistan has fallen sharply. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan recorded 13 new cases in the first half of 2026, according to ThePrint, and Reuters has reported a drop in blasphemy-related mob violence following a government crackdown on the extremist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, which was banned in 2025. International Christian Concern, in a Nov. 3 report, noted the decline but warned that deeper concerns remain. The law itself is unchanged: Section 295-C is still in force.

Christians make up about 2% of Pakistan's population. Pakistan ranks among the most dangerous countries for Christians on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List. Past blasphemy accusations have led to mob attacks on Christian neighborhoods, including in Jaranwala in 2023. Asia Bibi, a Christian mother, was acquitted in 2018 after eight years on death row.

How to pray and help

• Pray for Qaiser Ayub's life and freedom, for wisdom for the judges hearing his review, and for his family's comfort.
• Pray for Amoon Ayub's safety as he returns to life outside prison; the ACLJ says work continues to protect him from reprisals.
• Pray for Pakistan's Christians and other religious minorities, and for the courage of Pakistani lawyers who defend the accused.
• Learn more and support through established groups that serve the persecuted church, such as Open Doors, The Voice of the Martyrs and International Christian Concern.

← Back to World & Security · Browse the Archive →