Qaiser Ayub, a Christian father, has just been sentenced to death for allegedly showing disrespect to the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. He is now awaiting execution.
Sign this petition to ask the Pakistani authorities to grant him clemency.
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On October 7, 2026, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took a dramatic step. It upheld the death sentence for blasphemy against Qaiser Ayub, a Christian father who has been detained for more than twelve years. This is the first time in the country’s history that the highest court has upheld the death penalty for blasphemy (Section 295-C of the Penal Code). This decision breaks with a body of case law that had previously protected defendants as a matter of last resort, as was the case for Asia Bibi (2018), Wajih ul Hassan (2019), and Anwar Kenneth (2025).
For Qaiser Ayub, a husband and father of three, the risk is now immediate, extreme, and irreversible. Although Pakistan has maintained a de facto moratorium on hangings since December 2019, the death penalty remains fully in force under the country’s law, where more than 3,300 people are already crammed onto death row. Furthermore, in Pakistan, the mere accusation of blasphemy makes detainees prime targets. Between 1948 and May 2024, at least 104 people were lynched or extrajudicially killed by extremist mobs. Without immediate action, Qaiser Ayub risks paying for this relentless persecution with his life at any moment.
Like Asia Bibi before him, his case is riddled with glaring flaws and a complete lack of reliable evidence. But unlike her—who was acquitted thanks to a massive international outcry—Qaiser is seeing the noose tighten around him. The court cleared his brother Amoon—who was also accused of blasphemy in this case—of all charges, yet inexplicably upholds the death sentence against Qaiser. He is accused of allegedly publishing texts on a WordPress blog that were deemed offensive to the Prophet of Islam.
Apart from the fact that the very principle of criminalizing blasphemy against Muhammad is unacceptable—as it violates the freedoms of conscience and expression—the judges deliberately ignored the fact that any third party could have impersonated Qaiser’s charity to post this information online. Even more seriously, the chain of custody for the evidence has been completely compromised: computer data reveals that files were altered and that an external USB drive was connected to Qaiser’s computer after it had been seized by the police, while the device was in the exclusive custody of the authorities. Sentencing a man to death based on falsified digital evidence is a travesty of justice.
In the face of this flagrant injustice, every day counts. That is why the ECLJ—whose local partner in Lahore (the OLA) is representing the two brothers in court—is calling for urgent international action and needs your signature.
We call on the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to immediately exercise the power granted to him under Article 45 of the Constitution to grant a presidential pardon to Qaiser Ayub. We also urge the European Union to use its diplomatic and trade leverage (GSP+) to demand respect for the right to life. The lack of a fair trial makes this act of clemency absolutely essential to prevent an irreparable tragedy.
Let’s not remain silent! By signing our petition, you join your voice with that of the ECLJ to halt Qaiser Ayub’s execution. Together, let’s demand that the Pakistani authorities grant Qaiser a pardon, ensure the safety of his brother Amoon, and protect their Christian family.
