Junaid Hafeez, a former lecturer and MPhil candidate in the English Literature Department of Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, Pakistan has been held in pre-trial detention for over six years charged with Blasphemy. His trial has been re-scheduled over and over. His attorney was murdered after being threatened in court by the prosecutor and his trial has been moved from one judge to another prolonging the case. Additionally, on numerous occasions the prosecutor has continually modified the case by submitting additional evidentiary applications. All of these were dismissed but extended the case’s duration and required Mr. Hafeez to remain in jail in solitary. His trial is scheduled for today, Thursday, December 12, 2019. CCS is writing the authorities in Pakistan requesting the dismissal of his case, his release and assuring his safety while incarcerated and upon release.
December 12, 2019
The Honorable Imran Khan
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
The Honorable Justice Asif Saeed Khosa
Chief Justice of Pakistan
58 D, Sir Syed Road
Gulberg -III
Lahore
Pakistan
The Honorable Justice Asif Saeed Khosa
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue
G-5/2 Islamabad
Pakistan
RE: Professor Junaid Hafeez
Your Excellencies:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We are, again, writing to express grave concern for Junaid Hafeez, a former lecturer and MPhil candidate in the English Literature Department at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, who has been held in pre-trial detention for over six years. His trial is scheduled for today and we respectfully urge you to ensure that Mr. Hafeez’s case is finally resolved and, in a manner, consistent with Pakistan’s domestic and international legal obligations to ensure due process, fair trial, freedom of expression, and related rights. We further urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure Mr. Hafeez’s physical and mental health and safety, both while in custody and following his hoped-for speedy release.
Mr. Hafeez was arrested in 2013 after a group of students accused him of making blasphemous statements on social media. In fact, the allegation appears to be based only on a printout purporting to show that he had not deleted a post that he did not in fact author, but which was shared with him by another person on Facebook. Despite the apparent lack of the evidence that Mr. Hafeez committed the offense, the case has continued for more than six-and-a-half years, with Mr. Hafeez in detention and in solitary confinement continuously since May 2014.
During this time Mr. Hafeez’s previous attorney, Rashid Rehman, was murdered in May 2014 after being subjected to death threats and other pressures. The case has been transferred between eight separate judges, and subjected to numerous procedural delays, extending Mr. Hafeez’s prolonged imprisonment without conviction. On September 11, 2019, the prosecution submitted three additional evidentiary applications, delaying the trial further. These applications were reportedly dismissed, and the case should finally be nearing its end, hopefully today.
We welcome any additional information that may explain these events or clarify our understandings, but absent this we are not aware of any valid investigatory or legal justification for extending Mr. Hafeez’s detention and the proceedings against him. We are concerned that his continuing detention violates Pakistan’s domestic and international legal obligations relating to due process, fair trial, and the humane treatment of prisoners, including under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Pakistan is a party. We therefore respectfully urge you to intervene with the appropriate authorities to ensure that Mr. Hafeez’s case is not subject to any further delay; that the case against him proceeds with due regard for international standards relating to due process and fair trial, freedom of expression, and related rights; and that his physical and mental health and safety are protected during the remainder of his time in custody and following his acquittal.
We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Cc:
Mohammad Usman Buzdar Chief Minister Government of Punjab Province’ Chief Minister Secretariat’ 5-Club Road GOR-I, Lahore, Punjab
Pakistan
Fax: +92 42 99205065
Email: cmcomplaintcell@cmpunjab.gov.pk
Mr. Ehtisham Qadir
Office of the Prosecutor General, Punjab
Kasuri Tower, 4 – Fane Road,
Opposite Punjab Bar Council, Lahore
Pakistan
Email: pso.pgp@gmail.com
Arif Alvi
President of Pakistan President’s Secretariat Islamabad
Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
Shireen Mazari
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
State Life Building No. 5, Blue Area,
Jinnah Avenue, China Chowk
Islamabad
Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: contact@molaw.gov.pk
The Honorable Michelle Bachelet
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Email: InfoDesk@ohchr.org
Fax: +41 22-917-9011
Dr. Ahmed Shaheed
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief c/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations at Geneva
8-14 avenue de la Paix
CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland
E-mail: freedomofreligion@ohchr.org,
urgent-action@ohchr.org
The Honorable Mike Pompeo
United States Secretary of State Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
United States of America