8/4/2025 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) — Nabeel Masih, a 25-year-old Christian from Lahore, died on July 31 after years of neglect, abuse, and lack of crucial medical care.

At 16, while living in Dina Nath, Kasur, Masih was accused by a man named Akhtar Ali of posting a blasphemous image on Facebook — allegedly insulting the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site.

Police quickly arrested Masih under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, often misused and criticized as unfair. Police had the image removed to prevent unrest, erasing the only evidence that could prove whether Masih had posted it.

In 2018, Masih was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to 10 years, becoming the youngest person ever convicted under these laws in Pakistan.

He spent four years in prison, mostly in solitary confinement, facing fear, threats, and mental distress. Some legal and human rights groups, including lawyer Saad Jabar, CSW, CLAAS, ACN, CSI, and BACA, raised Masih’s case internationally. Inside Pakistan, however, he remained forgotten, without the protection, medical help, or hope he needed.

In 2020, the Supreme Court granted Masih bail, but he was already gravely ill. Poor nutrition, contaminated water, and years of stress had destroyed his organs.

Promises of medical care, therapy, or relocation were never kept. Some now claim that keeping victims like Masih in danger allowed certain NGOs to raise more funds for protection while doing little to help. He received no long-term care or real support. As his health declined, repeated hospital visits brought no relief.

Masih died frail and ill. He endured more suffering in 10 years than many face in a lifetime. His death highlights the urgent need for reform and serves as a call to action for those who value justice and truth to ensure no other young life is lost in the same way.

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