Man Sentenced to Death for Blasphemy on Facebook

Social media represents a new battleground for the Pakistani fight against blasphemy. Authorities have asked Twitter and Facebook to help identify users sharing blasphemous material, and have distributed text messages encouraging Pakistanis to report fellow citizens.

Human rights defenders have expressed concern that the country's blasphemy laws, and the authorities' zealous application of them, provide a tool for people to carry out personal vendettas, particularly because nobody is ever punished for making false accusations.