Pakistani Court Indicts 106 Suspects in Killing of Christian Couple

A Pakistani court has indicted 106 suspects for their involvement in a 2014 slaying of a Christian couple in the country's Punjab province.

The 106 people, including the owner of a brick kiln where the couple worked, were charged in Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism court this week for their mob involvement in the killing of the young Christian couple, Sajjad Mesih and his wife Shama.

Local media reports indicate that the couple was burnt to death in a brick kiln by an angry mob after facing allegations of burning pages of the Quran. The local Diocese of Raiwind told local media outlets that in fact the brick kiln's owner had demanded money from the Christian couple, and when they could not pay he spread rumors about them burning the Quran.

The indictment specifically points out three clerics who are being accused of using inflammatory speech against the Christian couple to rile the crowd and incite a mob-like response that resulted in their death.

The 2014 killing of the Mesih couple has resulted in a call for more tolerance of religious minorities in primarily Islamic nations.

"The brutal killing of Shahzad and Shama once again highlights the extreme danger of religious fanaticism that Christians in Pakistan face on a regular basis. The accusation of blasphemy can be used for any dispute and can often prove deadly as it did today, inciting a mob to brutally murder this young couple," International Christian Concern Regional Manager Todd Daniels said at the time of the couple's death.