A policeman in Quetta, Pakistan, shot and killed a man accused of blasphemy while the suspect was in police custody. The incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the country’s controversial blasphemy laws and the growing mob violence associated with them.
A 15-year-old Hindu boy, Utsav Mandol, was brutally beaten and hacked to death by a mob inside a police station in Khulna City, Bangladesh. The mob accused him of making ‘objectionable comments’ about Prophet Muhammad on social media. Despite the presence of police, army, and navy personnel, the mob stormed the station and lynched the boy.
Police in Pakistan have arrested 23 people in connection with the mob killing of a man accused of desecrating the Quran in Madyan. The mob, enraged by the accusation, attacked a police station, wounded officers, and took the man into custody before killing him and burning his body. Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident and are searching for additional suspects.
In Muslim-majority Indonesia, a court sentenced comedian Aulia Rakhman to seven months in prison for blasphemy. Rakhman made a joke about the prevalence of the name ‘Muhammad,’ which is inspired by the Islamic prophet, and its association with misbehavior. The prosecutor’s office claimed his joke spread hatred, citing a law that prohibits statements that conflict with official religions or hinder religious adherence. The law carries a maximum sentence of five years, and prosecutors had requested an eight-month term for Rakhman. His actions were deemed to have disturbed society. This incident adds to a series of blasphemy cases in Indonesia, including the arrest of six individuals in 2022 for a bar promotion involving free alcohol for people named ‘Muhammad.’ Rights groups have criticized the law’s misuse against religious minorities.
