Pakistan Supreme Court overturns death sentence of Christian man after 24 years on death row

Written by: Nasir Sayeed
Article source: www.claas.org.uk

In a historic judgment delivered on Tuesday, June 24, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Anwar Kenneth, a 72-year-old Christian man who had spent the last 24 years on death row under Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws. The court cited his mental illness as the basis for the acquittal, marking a rare acknowledgment of the vulnerability of mentally ill individuals prosecuted under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Kenneth, a former civil servant, was arrested in 2001 after allegedly writing letters considered blasphemous toward Islam. Despite clear indications of psychological instability and a reportedly coerced confession, he was sentenced to death in 2002 by a Lahore sessions court and fined five million rupees. The Lahore High Court upheld the sentence in 2014, rejecting appeals for medical evaluation and clemency.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court ruled that Kenneth was not mentally competent at the time of the alleged offence and therefore could not be held criminally liable. In their judgment, the justices referred to provisions in Pakistani law that shield mentally ill individuals from criminal responsibility, especially in capital cases.

Nasir Saeed, Director of the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS-UK), welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict, calling it a relief — though long overdue.

“Anwar Kenneth should never have been sentenced to death. He was clearly mentally unfit and wrongfully convicted. While we welcome the Supreme Court’s judgment, it cannot undo the 24 years he lost behind bars — most of which he spent in solitary confinement on death row,” said Mr Saeed.

He further criticised the broader failings of Pakistan’s legal system in addressing false accusations of blasphemy:

“We are deeply concerned that innocent people continue to suffer the same fate as Kenneth. There is no effective mechanism in place to hold false accusers accountable. Until the law is reformed, more vulnerable individuals will continue to be victimised. This isn’t justice — it’s systemic persecution.”

Saeed also highlighted ongoing cases of Christian prisoners facing similar injustice: “People like Zafar Bhatti, Qaiser Ayub, Asif Pervez, and Junaid are just a few names — all of them have been imprisoned for more than a decade under false blasphemy charges. Their hearings are constantly delayed, and justice is denied by default. The system is failing them — and their families continue to suffer immeasurably.”

He added: “Justice delayed is justice denied. Unless the government and judiciary work toward meaningful legal reform and accountability for false accusers, we will continue to see tragedies like Kenneth’s unfold in silence.”

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Date published: 08/07/2025

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