Lahore High Court examines digital evidence in Junaid Hafeez blasphemy appeal

The Lahore High Court has requested arguments from prosecutors regarding the admissibility and authenticity of electronic evidence in the blasphemy appeal of Junaid Hafeez. Hafeez, a former lecturer at Bahauddin Zakariya University, was sentenced to death in 2019 following allegations that he uploaded blasphemous material to Facebook in 2013.

A two-member bench is specifically examining the validity of digital evidence, including a Facebook page allegedly linked to Hafeez. The court has instructed the prosecution to satisfy the bench regarding the grounds of the appeal and the reliability of the digital data presented.

Hafeez has been in custody since his arrest in 2013, with his trial moved to Multan Central Jail due to security concerns. The case has been marked by significant legal challenges; notably, his lawyer, Rashid Rehman, was killed by gunmen in 2014 after receiving threats for defending Hafeez. Human Rights Watch has reported that Hafeez has been held in solitary confinement since June 2014.