Christian Nouman Masih was sentenced to death in Bahawalpur on May 30 

He was arrested in 2019 for violating 295-c of the Penal Code, which punishes contempt shown towards the Prophet Mohammed

Vatican’s news agency, reported that Masih was sent the images by a young Muslim man, Bilal Ahmad, however, police took no action against Ahmad

Defense Counsel Lazar Allah Rakha said, ‘This is murder of justice’, as ‘There was no proof against Nouman, and none of the witnesses produced by police could corroborate the blasphemy allegation’

‘Despite so many contradictions in the case, I’m at a loss to understand why the judge sentenced Nouman instead of acquitting him’ Rakha said

Masih’s friend Sunny Mushtaq, the second man arrested after images receiving the images over the messenger app, is expected to receive similar punishment sentence

Masih and Mushtaq were offered immediate release if they converted to Islam, both refused 

Set Up? 22-year-old Pakistani Christian Nouman Masih [photo], was tried because a Muslim friend sent a ‘blasphemous’ cartoon to his phone via WhatsApp. After refusing to convert, he was sentenced to death in Bahawalpur, in the Punjab province. The sender was never arrested

A Christian man has been sentenced to be hanged in Pakistan, four years after he was arrested for receiving ‘blasphemous’ cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed on his phone.
Nouman Masih, 22, was sentenced to death by the Court of eastern city of Bahawalpur, in the Punjab province on May 30.
He was arrested in 2019 for violating 295-c of the Penal Code, which punishes contempt shown towards the Prophet Mohammed.
Agenzia Fides, the Vatican’s news agency, reported that Masih was sent the images by a young Muslim man, who police have taken no action against.
Masih’s cousin and best friend Sunny Mushtaq, 24, was the second man arrested after images receiving the images over the messenger app.
It is expected that Mushtaq will be handed a similar punishment.

22-year-old Nouman Masih, a Pakistani Christian, was arrested in 2019 for violating 295-c of the Penal Code, which punishes contempt shown towards the Prophet Mohammed

Fides reported that photographs of drawings of Mohammed were found on the phones belonging to the two friends. Masih’s family has denied the accusation. 
The trial against the two men ended in January, but it has taken five months for the sentence to be handed down by the district judge of the Bahawalpur Magistrate Court, which was made public on May 30.
At trial the prosecution never produced witnesses. In both cases, the police referred to “secret information”, but the facts were never proven. Subsequently, Masih and Mushtaq were offered immediate release if they converted to Islam. Both refused.
Masih’s defense lawyer Lazar Allah Rakha, speaking to local media Morning Star News said he was ‘extremely disappointed by the conviction, because there was absolutely no case.
‘There was no proof against Noman, and none of the witnesses produced by police could corroborate the blasphemy allegation against him.’
He continued: ‘Despite so many contradictions in the case, I’m at a loss to understand why Bahawalpur Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Hafeez Ur Rehman sentenced Noman instead of acquitting him. This is murder of justice.’

The parents and siblings of Sunny Mushtaq, [photo], live with the specter that their 24-year-old son similarly faces capital punishment for an offense he neither initiated nor was an active participant

Speaking to Fides, Aneeqa Maria Anthony, an attorney from the NGO ‘The Voice’, slammed the decision: ‘the magistrate ignored all the procedures and dismissed all the evidence in favor of the accused.
‘He [the judge] only wanted to complete his ‘sacred duty’ to punish an alleged blasphemer. We expect the same fate for Sunny Mushtaq.
‘They were arrested for a teenage game. Their families are suffering greatly.
‘Our legal team at The Voice is doing everything necessary to grant them justice, helping their families and standing by their side in these dark and difficult times.’

An excerpt of the sentence which, according to Voice4Justice, shows that Noman Masih was sentenced to death under section 295-C of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws

Anthony said the drawing was sent to the friends by Bilal Ahmad, a young Muslim. However, police took no action against Ahmad.
‘This is another example of the misuse of blasphemy laws,’ the attorney said. He called on the authorities to conduct a fair investigation, and said that his lawyers intended to appeal the sentence, and could go to the High Court of Lahore.

The cartoons allegedly, were sent via WhatsApp to Masih and Mushtaq, by a young Muslim man, Bilal Ahmad. However, police took no action against Ahmad

It was pointed out that images received over WhatsApp are automatically downloaded to a person’s phone, and can even be automatically backed-up with the right settings.
This means that any images Masih would have received would have been saved on to his phone automatically, whether he wanted them or not.
Pakistan has been staunchly criticized for its extreme blasphemy laws, which critics say are used to persecute and intimidate members of religious minorities.