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Shock and anger greeted the Pakistani Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the conviction and death sentence of a Christian man accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. 

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Supporters say the decision has far-reaching implications for human rights in Pakistan and for the country’s standing on the international stage. The Open Doors 2026 World Watch List included the Asian nation in its top 10 list of countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.

CeCe Heil, senior counsel and international legal director for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), told Fox News Digital the case against brothers Amoon and Qaisar Ayub began in 2014. 

AMERICANS TRAVEL TO PAKISTAN TO FREE CHRISTIANS TRAPPED IN MODERN-DAY SLAVERY: ‘GOD’S HAND WAS IN IT’

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The Supreme Court of Pakistan building in Islamabad, March 26, 2026. (Yasir Rajput/Reuters)

Qaisar was arrested after a WordPress site displayed the Ayub brothers’ contact information and shared content that insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Amoon was arrested the following year. Heil says that in the 12 years of legal wrangling that followed, the Pakistani legal system has never presented evidence proving that either brother was truly affiliated with the offending WordPress blog site.

The ACLJ, through its Pakistani counterpart, the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), began representing Amoon shortly after his arrest in 2015. Both brothers were sentenced to death in 2018. They unsuccessfully sought appeal in the Lahore High Court in 2022. After a continuation at the Supreme Court in 2025, Qaisar asked the OLA to represent him.

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A Christian worshiper attends an Easter prayer at the St. John’s Cathedral, in Peshawar, Pakistan, April 5, 2026. (Khuram Parvez/Reuters)

Following years of arguments and 13 postponed hearings, an Oct. 7 verdict from the Supreme Court saw Amoon acquitted after some 10 years in prison, while Qaisar’s conviction and death sentence was upheld.

Heil said a threatening atmosphere now attends many blasphemy hearings, where she says «mobs» commonly show up in courtrooms.

In one trial, she said a mob filmed themselves saying that «if the judge does not enforce death by hanging, we will kill him by our own hands.» She said another video shows a prominent lawyer involved in numerous blasphemy cases celebrating the 15-year journey that led to Qaisar’s sentencing. A translation of the description reads, «There is only one punishment for one who insults the Prophet: The death penalty for Qaisar Ayub.»

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Heil said the precedent set by the Supreme Court’s decision could impact «every single person that is sitting in prison right now on blasphemy charges,» which includes at least three OLA clients.

Pakistani Rangers stand guard on a street where a Christian family lives, following allegations of blasphemy and alleged desecration of the Koran, in Karachi, July 17, 2026. (Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)

Other Christian men facing death include Shahzad Masih, who was 16 years old when he was accused of blasphemy in 2017. He was sentenced to death five years later. His appeals have repeatedly been postponed since 2022.

Intizar Masih is awaiting trial for a blasphemous post he is said to have shared on WhatsApp in 2023. Ahsan Masih was accused of posting blasphemous content to TikTok in 2023, and was sentenced to death the following year. His appeal hearings have also been postponed.

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The OLA plans to file a review petition with the Supreme Court as early as this week, addressing the lack of evidence convicting Qaisar. They also plan to reach out directly to the Government of Pakistan to request support, including a presidential pardon for Qaisar. 

Heil said she finds it «very strange» for a country posturing itself as a «more tolerant» negotiator between world powers in the ongoing conflict in Iran to fail to protect the religious freedoms of its people.

CHRISTIAN FARMING COMMUNITIES UNDER SIEGE AS US REPORT NAMES FULANI MILITANTS NIGERIA’S DEADLIEST THREAT

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File photo shows an elderly Christian man praying during a Mass on Good Friday in a church in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

The Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about the possibility of a presidential pardon for Qaisar, or whether the Supreme Court’s decision could impact Pakistan’s perception in the West, or if justice can prevail in courtrooms mobbed with threatening onlookers.

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the U.S. «is concerned about religious freedom in Pakistan and throughout the world» and «we regularly discuss this concern with Pakistan, as we would with any country.»

Heil said the ACLJ has requested that Morris Tidball-Binz, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, intercede on Qaisar’s behalf.

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Tidball-Binz did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether he held concerns about the precedent set by the Supreme Court upholding Qaisar’s conviction.

The Human Rights Council secretariat provided a letter that Tidball-Binz and other U.N. officials wrote to the Government of Pakistan in September 2025, emphasizing their concerns about the cases of the Ayub brothers and Shahazad Masih. 

It stated, «Without making any judgment as to the accuracy of the information made available to us, we would like to express our grave concern about the imposition of the mandatory death penalty for blasphemy related charges against Mr. Shahzad Masih, Mr. Qaiser Ayub and Mr. Amoon Ayub, despite an apparent lack of conclusive evidence against them for acts and for offenses which do not qualify as ‘most serious crimes.’»

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Christians demanded justice during a protest in Islamabad condemning attacks on churches in Pakistan on Aug. 20, 2023. Pakistan is one of the top 10 worst countries for Christian persecution, according to a new report. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.N. officials concluded, «If the above allegations prove to be accurate, they would be in contravention of Mr. Shahazad Masih´s, Mr. Qaiser Ayub’s and Mr. Amoon Ayub’s rights to life, not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, not to be deprived arbitrarily of their liberty and to be afforded fair proceedings before an independent and impartial tribunal, to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, the right to express their opinion in a peaceful manner and the right to be equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law without any discrimination.» 

The Government of Pakistan responded earlier this year, and outlined how «Under Pakistan’s Constitution, such matters fall within the judicial domain, and the Executive is constitutionally prohibited from intervening in individual cases.»

Heil said that while Amoon has been spared from the death penalty, their work is ongoing to keep him safe from reprisals.

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Beth Bailey writes on the United Nations, worldwide antisemitism, and regions in conflict for Fox News.

pakistan, controversies religion, human rights, christianity religion, religion us

Far-left streamer Hasan Piker dodged his controversial past in an exchange with Digital on Tuesday, hours after teaming up with embattled Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on the campaign trail to co-host an event in her home state of Minnesota.

He also dismissed his disagreements with Democratic Party leaders after he called Republicans «terrorists» and Omar said the GOP is the «pedophile protection party» during the stream on Monday.

Omar’s decision to embrace Piker on the campaign trail marks a potentially risky political alliance, coming on the back of a high-profile raid on her Washington, D.C., home amid two dueling investigations — one for alleged immigration fraud, which could threaten her political future and citizenship status, and the other for fishy financial disclosure statement discrepancies.

The lawmaker’s appearance with Piker comes after Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed drew backlash from his own party for campaigning with the controversial Twitch streamer earlier this cycle.

HASAN PIKER LASHES OUT AT REPUBLICANS, CALLS THEM ‘TERRORISTS’ IN EVENT WITH ILHAN OMAR

Digital confronted Piker at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport heading out of Minnesota after the Monday livestream. He was pressed on the criticism stemming from Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., and Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., after the two condemned Piker’s comments and pushed back on Democrats’ choice to engage with him on the campaign trail.

«Well, Angie Craig lost, and I think Klobuchar is going to make for a great governor,» Piker told Digital while walking to security.

Klobuchar condemned Piker’s past statements as «reckless and unacceptable,» while Craig called his rhetoric «polarizing and dangerous» and directly called out Minnesota Democrats, like Omar and Fateh, for hosting Monday’s event with Piker as a «mistake.»

When asked if the two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were right to call out the rhetoric, Piker wrote off their disagreements as «the beauty of democracy,» while also throwing jabs at Fox News.

«I know this is probably going to come across as confusing, because you work for Fox News, but we sometimes disagree with our leadership in the Democratic Party,» he said. «And sometimes our leadership disagrees with us.»

«But at the end of the day,» he continued, «that’s the beauty of democracy.»

HASAN PIKER ADMITS HE HAS ‘DIALED DOWN’ HIS OPINIONS AFTER PUBLIC AND DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH

The controversy over the Somali-born congresswoman deciding to sit down with Piker with just over one week until the 2026 midterms exposes a divide among Minnesota Democrats — is it justifiable to work with Piker in order to rally his large, young, progressive base to get out and vote despite his heavily condemned commentary?

Piker was asked on Tuesday about his previous comments on Jewish people and Israel after prominent Democrats joined Republicans who have called the streamer antisemitic. He suggested that Jewish Americans were inviting violence against themselves over their support for Israel. He has repeatedly stood by his comments against Israel over its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

«Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism,» Piker told Digital.

«I will always fight against antisemitism and I find all bigotry to be morally repugnant and completely unacceptable. But I also find it a real shame to constantly complain about people who are outspoken on the issue of Israel’s genocide.»

It was after Democrats, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., began calling out Piker for his extreme comments that El-Sayed distanced himself after frequently making appearances side-by-side.

Another reason why Omar’s choice to engage with Piker has been questioned within the party.

Piker refused to comment on one issue though — his past comments claiming America «deserved 9/11.»

«You made some comments on 9/11, do you still stand by them?» Digital asked Piker, at which point he ignored the question and walked through the line for security.

Both Piker and Omar attacked President Donald Trump during their event Monday night, with the Somali-born lawmaker ripping his «obsession» with Minnesotans. Piker, meanwhile, shamed Democrats for ceding on immigration arguments to Trump’s agenda back in 2024.

REP ILHAN OMAR’S IMMIGRATION HISTORY FACES NEW SCRUTINY AS FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SUBPOENA RELATIVES

«That’s unacceptable. Migrants are not a national security threat. They are our neighbors. They are allies. They work alongside us. They are not the burden, but a benefit. They are what make this country strong, and they’re what make it this country great,» Piker insisted.

«Any Democrat that refuses to recognize that, in my opinion, is un-American,» he concluded.

Omar is running for reelection and projected for a clear win, despite being under investigation by both Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for immigration fraud and questionable financial filings.

The Minnesota Democrat’s name has also come into question following HSI’s raid on her Washington, D.C., home, with a new federal court filing referring to her as «Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,» as first reported by Digital. A source told Fox that the language used for her name in the filing was reflective of the evidence compiled in the immigration fraud probe into Omar.

Omar has defended her name as «Ilhan Abdullahi Omar» and has also denied wrongdoing, accusing the Trump administration of targeting her for political reasons.

ilhan omar, politics, hasan piker, somali immigrant community, amy klobuchar

Medios brasileños aseguran que Flávio Bolsonaro huyó a Estados Unidos luego de incumplir la orden del juez de la Corte Suprema Alexandre de Moraes, quien le exigió entregar todos sus pasaportes —incluidos los extranjeros— a la Policía Federal en un plazo de 24 horas.

La medida se dictó en el marco de una investigación por lavado de dinero que involucra al senador y al abogado Willer Tomaz.

Según el diario Metrópoles, el senador Flávio Bolsonaro se fue hacia Estados Unidos junto con su mujer y sus dos hijas. El avión ya está en vuelo. La información fue confirmada por personas cercanas a la familia.

La decisión de Moraes, tomada el domingo por la noche, incluyó tres puntos clave: prohibición de contacto entre Flávio y Tomaz, cancelación de todos los pasaportes brasileños (también el diplomático) y la entrega obligatoria de cualquier pasaporte de otra nacionalidad.

En junio de 2025, la subsecretaria del Interior de Italia, Wanda Ferro, confirmó que Flávio Bolsonaro posee pasaporte italiano, documento que también debía ser entregado.

Sospechas de salida del país y contactos con Argentina

Según indicó el sitio g1, la Policía Federal investiga si Flávio Bolsonaro abandonó Brasil tras su derrota electoral del domingo 25 de octubre, a pesar de la prohibición del Supremo Tribunal Federal.

Según indicó el diario Folha de Sao Paulo, circulan versiones de que el senador habría cruzado la frontera hacia Puerto Iguazú, aunque la Dirección Nacional de Migraciones informó que no hay registro de ingreso de Flavio Bolsonaro a la Argentina.

Por lo tanto, si se produjo, fue clandestina. “Se desconoce el paradero del senador y su familia. Asistentes, amigos y políticos han intentado contactarlo durante toda la mañana, sin éxito”, indicó el medio paulista.

En declaraciones a Metrópoles, el coordinador general de la campaña presidencial del excandidato, el senador Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), negó que el dirigente haya salido del vecino país: “Eso no sucedió”.

Según pudo comfirmar TN, un vuelo operado por Baires Fly, tenía previsto despegar a la madrugada de Puerto Iguazú hacia Miami a las 2:30 de la madrugada, pero fue cancelado antes de la salida y se cree que el excandidato presidencial era uno de los pasajeros.

Las autoridades brasileñas mantienen contacto con sus pares argentinos para verificar cualquier movimiento migratorio, pero no se identificó ninguna confirmación de entrada al país vecino. Consultado por el medio g1, el equipo de Flávio Bolsonaro no respondió a los pedidos de información.

La reacción de Flávio Bolsonaro tras la intimación

En un video publicado en redes sociales, Flávio Bolsonaro contó que fue notificado por la Policía Federal para entregar sus pasaportes cuando salía de visitar a su padre, el expresidente Jair Bolsonaro, quien cumple prisión domiciliaria. “Hoy de mañana fui a visitar a mi padre. Cuando salía, la Policía Federal de Lula estaba en la puerta y, en la calle, fui intimado a entregar mis pasaportes y también estoy prohibido de salir del país”, expresó el senador.

Flávio cuestionó la decisión de Moraes, asegurando que se basó en declaraciones de su hermano Eduardo -prófugo de la justicia brasileña en Estados Unidos- sobre una posible salida del país en caso de derrota electoral. “Nunca dije eso. ¿Eso es motivo para quitarme el pasaporte? ¿Eso es Justicia?”, planteó.

El senador reafirmó su intención de seguir en la oposición al gobierno de Lula: “No vamos a permitir que esto pase. No me van a callar ni intimidar. Vamos a levantar la cabeza y seguir luchando por nuestro Brasil. Pase lo que pase, no vamos a desistir”.

Las medidas impuestas por la Justicia

La resolución de Alexandre de Moraes incluyó:

• Prohibición de contacto entre Flávio Bolsonaro y Willer Tomaz.
• Cancelación de todos los pasaportes brasileños, incluidos los diplomáticos, a nombre de Flávio Bolsonaro.
• Entrega en 24 horas de cualquier pasaporte de otras nacionalidades que posea el senador.

Brasil, Flavio Bolsonaro