Pakistani man abducted, killed after blasphemy acquittal
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 8 January 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistani man abducted, killed after blasphemy acquittal, 8 January 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54be14448.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 08, 2015
Gunmen in Pakistan have killed a man who had been acquitted two weeks ago on blasphemy charges and freed from prison after a court ruled he was mentally unstable.
Police on January 8 said the bullet-riddled body of 52-year-old Aabid Mehmood was found in the town of Taxila near Islamabad.
Police say he was abducted from his home by masked men on January 6 and was shot in the head and chest from close range.
Authorities were investigating whether Mehmood, who owned a hotel, was killed in a personal dispute.
Mehmood was arrested in October 2011 for blasphemy after his son-in-law alleged he had claimed he was a prophet.
When his body was brought to his village of Kamra, angry residents did not allow his relatives to bury him in the local graveyard.
Instead, he was buried in the courtyard of his home.
Based on reporting by Dawn and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
