Source: CNN
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Pakistani religious students and activists gather for a protest against blasphemy on social media in Islamabad on March 8.
Story highlights
- Pakistan government is cracking down on freedom of speech online, activists say
- Crackdown comes amid growing concerns over mob violence against blasphemers
(CNN)A Pakistan government crackdown on freedom of speech online has reached worrying new levels, activists say, after a young man was sentenced to death over a series of Facebook posts.
On Saturday, 30-year-old Taimoor Raza became the first person to receive a death sentence in a Pakistan anti-terrorism court for “using derogatory remarks … in respect of the Holy Prophet” on social media.
Amnesty International’s Pakistan campaigner, Nadia Rahman, said in a statement the conviction set a “dangerous precedent.”
“No one one should be hauled before an anti-terrorism court or any other court solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief online,” she said.
Categories: Asia, Free Speech, Pakistan