Lahore High Court hears Junaid Hafeez death sentence appeal after six years

The Lahore High Court on Tuesday took up the appeal of Junaid Hafeez, a former lecturer at Multan's Bahauddin Zakariya University sentenced to death in a blasphemy case, for its first substantive hearing in almost six years. A two-judge bench of Justice Sadiq Mahmood Khurram and Justice Jawad Zafar directed the prosecution to satisfy the court and defence lawyers about the legal status of electronic evidence used against Hafeez.

Hafeez filed his appeal on 9 January 2020 against the death sentence handed down by a sessions court in Multan on 21 December 2019. BBC Urdu reported that Tuesday was the first substantive hearing since then.

Hafeez's lawyer Asad Jamal told BBC Urdu that his client's laptop and phone were never sent for forensic examination, meaning content on those devices could not be verified. He described Tuesday's hearing as good progress. Saif-ul-Mulook, another lawyer on the team, said he was hopeful because the appeal was finally being heard after a long delay.

A family member, speaking anonymously to BBC Urdu, said the family was very hopeful and described the case as bogus. The relative added that Hafeez remains hopeful but very lonely, and that family visits continue with books and food.

Hafeez, who is from Rajanpur in south Punjab, taught English at Bahauddin Zakariya University and had studied in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship. He was charged in 2013 with uttering blasphemous words and posting blasphemous comments on social media. Because of security concerns, his trial was held inside Multan Central Jail. His first lawyer, Rashid Rehman, was shot dead in his office on 7 May 2014. A second lawyer later withdrew, and a third claimed he received threats.

Fifteen prosecution witnesses were recorded, while 11 were dropped as unnecessary. The trial saw more than half a dozen judges changed, prolonging the case. On 21 December 2019, the additional district and sessions judge convicted Hafeez and sentenced him to death for spreading religious hatred, along with life imprisonment and a separate ten-year term, plus a fine of Rs 500,000.

The appeal was first filed at the Multan bench of the Lahore High Court but was transferred to Lahore a year later. Lawyers said the six-year gap before Tuesday's hearing was due to procedural delays.