ICC Note:
Sawan Masih, a Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy, was sentenced to death for committing blasphemy in court in Lahore, Pakistan. Last March, Sawan was accused of making derogatory remarks against Mohammed after a fight with a Muslim friend. This accusations led to broader violence against the Christian community Sawan resided in called Joseph Colony. Many human rights organizations continue to criticize Pakistan for its controversial blasphemy laws which disproportionately affect Christians and other religious minorities.  
3/28/2014 Pakistan (BBC) – A Pakistani Christian man has been sentenced to death for blasphemy, in a case which sparked fierce rioting in the eastern city of Lahore last March.
Sawan Masih was convicted of using derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed in a row with a Muslim friend.
Hundreds of Muslims attacked the city’s Christian Joseph colony, torching homes, when the allegations surfaced.
Allegations of blasphemy against Islam are taken very seriously in Pakistan, where 97% of the population are Muslim.
Several recent cases have prompted international concern about the application of blasphemy laws.
Sawan Masih’s lawyer said a judge announced the verdict during a hearing at the jail where the trial has been held, amid fears for his client’s safety if he attended court.
The 26-year-old Masih, who is a father of three, has consistently maintained his innocence during the year-long trial.
He argues the real reason for the blasphemy allegation was a property dispute between him and his friend.
His father, Chapman Masih, said: “My son is innocent… we are not being treated fairly”, the BBC’s Shumaila Jaffrey in Lahore reports.
The rioting that followed the incident lasted days and saw about 3,000 Muslims attack the Christian neighbourhood, starting fires. Two churches and dozens of bibles were also desecrated in the attack
A de facto moratorium on the death penalty means that he is unlikely to face the gallows any time soon.
Since the 1990s, scores of Christians have been convicted for desecrating the Koran or blaspheming against the Prophet Mohammed.
While most of them have been sentenced to death by the lower courts, many sentences have been overturned due to lack of evidence. Sawan Masih now has 30 days to appeal
Critics argue that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are frequently misused to settle personal scores and that members of minority groups are also unfairly targeted.
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