PAKISTAN. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR BLASPHEMY
June 18, 2008: a Pakistani court handed down the death sentence to a man convicted of blasphemy, court officials said. Shafeeq Lateef was charged with passing derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed and desecrating pages of the Quran near the city of Sialkot in Punjab province on March 17, 2006. District and Sessions Judge Suhaib Ahmed Roomi of Sialkot awarded the death sentence to Lateef following his conviction for blasphemy. The judge gave him a separate life sentence for desecrating the Quran.
The court also directed Lateef to pay a fine of Rs five lakh. Lateef has the right to appeal in higher courts. (Sources: Expressindia.com, 18/06/2008)
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