05/22/2019 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has ordered an inquiry into the alleged torture of a Christian prisoner at Kot Lakhpat jail. According to Dawn, the Christian victim is one of 40 Christians currently on trial for allegedly participating in the violent riots that followed the suicide bombings of two churches in Lahore in 2015.
A recent medical report submitted to the court documented evidence of torture on the body of Vikram Masih. According to Dawn, Masih told the court that he was hung upside down by jailers for several hours. After he was released by jailers, Masih claims jail doctors did not perform a complete medical check of his injuries.
Reports of abuse and torture against the Christians arrested for allegedly participating in the 2015 riots are common. In those riots, two Muslims were lynched by a mob of Christians who were enraged following the suicide bombings of two churches in the Christian majority neighborhood of Youhanabad.
In total, Pakistan arrested 42 Christian men and charged them with various crimes, including the murders of the two Muslims. Since those arrests in 2015, none of the accused have been tried by the court. Instead, these prisoners have been subjected the torture and abuse by prison staff due to the crime with which they are accused.
Due to this abuse, two of the 42 Christian prisoners have died before facing trial.
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