October 9, 2025 — After more than two decades of wrongful imprisonment, Anwar Kenneth, a 74-year-old Pakistani Christian and former civil servant, has finally been acquitted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan — a decision exposing the brutality and systemic failure of Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws.
Kenneth’s acquittal is not merely the release of an innocent man; it is a glaring indictment of a legal framework that has been weaponized against religious minorities for decades. His 23 years on death row — much of it in solitary confinement — reflect a justice system that prioritizes fear over fairness, and extremist ideology over humanity.
Kenneth was arrested in September 2001 for allegedly writing a letter expressing his Christian beliefs. He was convicted under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which mandates the death penalty for alleged blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. Sentenced to death in 2002, he languished in prison for nearly a quarter of a century.
On October 8, 2025, the Supreme Court — in a judgment by Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan — acquitted Kenneth. The Court stressed that the prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the appellant could benefit from any material, oral, or documentary evidence produced by the prosecution. Kenneth, who was unaware that his actions were influenced by a mental disorder, benefited from the Medical Board’s opinion, which raised serious doubts regarding his criminal intent (mens rea).
The judgment also reaffirmed that followers of all religions have the right to profess, practice, and propagate their beliefs, provided they do not encroach on the rights of others. Considering Kenneth’s age and prolonged imprisonment, the Court extended the benefit of the doubt, set aside previous High Court and trial court judgments, and ordered his immediate release. The Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) was instructed to continue his medical care.
Joseph Janssen, Advocacy Officer at Jubilee Campaign Netherlands, played a pivotal role in securing Kenneth’s release. Janssen’s tireless advocacy at the UN and with EU Parliamentarians, alongside legal support from Jubilee Campaign Netherlands, culminated in Kenneth’s acquittal on October 8, 2025, following prolonged legal delays despite his mental unfitness. Janssen called on the Government of Pakistan and the European Parliament to ensure Kenneth’s release and safety.
“Justice has finally been served for Anwar Kenneth, a poor Christian man who has endured nearly a lifetime of unimaginable suffering behind bars. This long-overdue acquittal is not only a relief for Kenneth but also a beacon of hope for all those unjustly imprisoned due to their faith,” Janssen said.
In April 2024, six UN Special Rapporteurs and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an urgent communication to Pakistan, warning that Kenneth’s death sentence violated multiple articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). They condemned Pakistan’s mandatory death penalty under Section 295-C, highlighting the law’s systemic misuse against minorities and failure to protect them from persecution.
Charlie Weimers, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, also advocated for Kenneth’s release. In November 2023, he joined activists outside the European Parliament demanding the release of Kenneth and other victims of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, calling them a “direct threat to our safety and freedom of religion.” Weimers has urged the EU to link trade privileges and aid to Pakistan’s human rights record, calling the laws “weapons of terror against religious minorities” at a UN Human Rights Council side event in March 2025.
Kenneth’s ordeal mirrors the suffering of countless others persecuted under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. His release, though a moment of relief, underscores the systemic abuse, fear, and injustice embedded in these laws.
Human rights advocates now call on Pakistan to repeal or amend its blasphemy provisions, abolish the mandatory death penalty, ensure protection and medical care for victims, and hold accountable those exploiting these laws. Until such reforms occur, the shadow of injustice will continue to fall over religious minorities.