The transfer of Hafeez’s case to a new judge when the defence has already tested the prosecution’s account – and the trial is near conclusion – seriously undermines the defendant's right to a fair trial.
Source/Credit: The Nation
By News Desk | February 9, 2018
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is outraged that the case of Junaid Hafeez, who was arrested in March 2013 after a student group accused him of blasphemy , has been transferred to yet another new judge and his right to a fair trial has been further undermined.
It is feared that if a fair trial is not ensured this time round, Hafeez may end up spending another 5-10 years in prison.
Hafeez’s trial has been dragging on for several years due to frequent transfers of presiding judges, absence of prosecution witnesses, and other reasons beyond the defendant’s control.
For example, in May 2014, Rashid Rehman, a regional coordinator for HRCP and the lawyer representing Hafeez, was gunned down inside his office in Multan.
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