Pakistani court denies bail to Christian teenager facing blasphemy charges

A magistrate's court in Pakistan has rejected the bail application of a Christian teenager who was accused of blasphemy for allegedly insulting Islam on social media.

Nabeel Masih, 16, was arrested and charged with blasphemy in September after a photo of the Kaaba in Mecca, one of Islam's holiest sites, appeared on his Facebook profile. The image reportedly showed the Kaaba with a pig's head on top. The complainant, Akhtar Ali, claimed that Masih "liked" and shared the image on Facebook.

Masih's lawyers argued that he should be granted bail because he is underage and has no prior convictions. However, the court in Kasur, south of Lahore, rejected the bail application on Feb. 7, World Watch Monitor reported.

In October, the lawyers were reportedly intimidated by the supporters of the complainants when they went to the Appeal Court.

Aneeqa Maria Anthony, head of the legal team representing Masih, said that a mob of about 80 people threatened Masih and his family when they appeared in court.

Amin Muzammal Chaudhry, the complainant's lawyer, reportedly warned Anthony against defending the teenager.

"These are Muslim courts, so you should not defend such a criminal. You people come here from Lahore to pursue this case, but there are many people here whom you cannot see, so you better watch yourself and stay away," Chaudry allegedly told Anthony.

Human rights lawyer Napoleon Qayyum denounced Chaudry's statement, saying: "We condemn this treatment of attorneys in the courtroom. Pakistan's Christians are citizens of the country. We have lived here for a long time and should not be considered outsiders."

Masih's family has been forced to flee their home for fear of reprisals. Other Christian families living in the area also went into hiding, although they later returned. The teenager could face the death sentence if he is convicted.

Pakistan is currently ranked in the Open Doors 2016 World Watch List as the sixth most difficult country to live as a Christian. The country's blasphemy laws are often abused to settle personal scores, particularly against Christians and other minorities, according to Open Doors.