Junaid Hafeez, a Fulbright researcher and former university professor, was imprisoned 13 years ago due to charges related to Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws. He was sentenced to death for allegedly posting comments on Facebook. The court issued his death sentence in 2019.
Hope for Appeal
Last week, the Lahore High Court heard Hafeez's appeal, raising hopes for the overturning of his conviction. Junaid's father, Hafeez-ul-Nazir, said during a recent visit with his son in prison that his only wish is for his son's freedom and return home, and that this battle is very difficult.
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Prison Conditions and Education
Saeed-ul-Mulk, Hafeez's lawyer, announced that the researcher has read thousands of books during his years in prison and, despite his physical health, feels hopeless in jail. Before his arrest, Hafeez studied as a Fulbright researcher in the United States and later worked as an English literature professor at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan.
Hafeez was arrested on March 13, 2013, for allegedly using a fake Facebook profile to insult the Prophet of Islam in a private group called "Self-Proclaimed Liberals of Pakistan." According to his father, these charges stemmed from a conspiracy by Islamic groups at the university.
His trial began in 2014 and, due to security issues, the legal proceedings were moved to Multan Central Jail and were repeatedly delayed until he was sentenced to death. Hafeez appealed this sentence in 2020, and the appeal is still pending.
Hafeez's appeal was reviewed on September 22, 2023, by a two-judge panel at the Lahore High Court. The judges instructed the prosecution and the complainant to prepare for a discussion on the electronic evidence presented in this case. This evidence includes Facebook content attributed to Hafeez.
Human rights groups have strongly criticized the enforcement of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and have called for Hafeez's conviction to be overturned. Now, Junaid's family hopes that the Lahore High Court will expedite his appeal and that he will be released soon.
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