Pakistan man has been arrested and charged with blasphemy in Rawalpindi, with calls by human rights groups for his release. British man Muhammad Asghar has been arrested for confused letters that he has written about himself, as reported by CNN. Responsible for Equality And Liberty calls for the Pakistan authorities to show mercy and dignity to understand that there will always be confused individuals, and that their human rights also require respect under our Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  An online petition calls for his release.

CNN reports: “Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — The family of a mentally ill British man sentenced to death in Pakistan for blasphemy is calling on authorities to release him. A court in the city of Rawalpindi last week handed down the punishment to Muhammad Asghar, 69, over charges alleging that he wrote letters claiming to be a prophet. But his family, his lawyer and a British legal aid group say the court failed to take into account the mental state of Asghar, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. The sentencing hearing took place last week behind closed doors without his legal team’s knowledge, they say, and his lawyer has been blocked from visiting him since.”