Pakistani Christians are mourning the death of a 61-year-old Catholic accused of blasphemy who died in custody after months of deteriorating health, renewing concerns over the treatment of vulnerable prisoners and the misuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
Amir Peter, the younger brother of Capuchin Father Henry Paul, parish priest of St. Francis Church in Lahore, died July 1 after suffering severe medical complications while in judicial custody awaiting trial at Camp Jail in Lahore.
The father of three had been admitted to a hospital on the night of June 30 after his condition worsened.
Peter was arrested in July 2025 after a Muslim shopkeeper accused him of making derogatory remarks about the prophet Muhammad. He remained behind bars until his death, although his lawyers said medical experts had declared him mentally unfit to stand trial because of advanced dementia.
EWTN News contacted Peter's son, Tumaar Amir, who declined to comment.
More than 200 people attended Peter's funeral Mass on July 2, celebrated by Archbishop Khalid Rehmat of Lahore at St. Joseph's Church.
"The whole Capuchin community and the Church are with Father Henry Paul and his family. We stand in solidarity with them," said the newly appointed archbishop, who had returned to Lahore just a day earlier after receiving the pallium from Pope Leo XIV on June 29, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
"We take pride in the fact that my brother didn't leave his Christian faith till the last moment," Paul said.
According to Peter's legal team, his physical and mental health steadily deteriorated throughout his detention.
"He was falsely accused of blasphemy. We repeatedly highlighted his deteriorating physical and mental health and the urgent need for appropriate medical treatment. Regrettably, despite these efforts, he passed away before justice could be served," Katherine Sapna, executive director of Christians' True Spirit, the legal aid organization representing Peter, told EWTN News.
"We mourn the loss of a man whose life was tragically cut short amid a flawed legal process. His serious medical condition was overlooked, and he was denied timely and adequate healthcare," she said.
Sapna called on religious leaders, civil society organizations, and state institutions to work together to ensure that no one is deprived of dignity, due process, or essential medical care because of false accusations or social prejudice.
"The vulnerability of victims of the misused blasphemy laws is extreme. Mental illness offers no protection," Samson Salamat, a Catholic and chairman of the Rwadari Tehreek (Movement for Religious Tolerance), told EWTN News after attending the funeral.
"The Punjab Institute of Mental Health's medical board had already declared Peter unfit to stand trial. No one is safe from the misuse of these laws, not even a priest's brother. Instead of merely reacting to individual cases, Pakistan needs policy reforms. Otherwise, promises to protect religious minorities remain empty," he said.
Concerns over the treatment of mentally ill prisoners
Human rights organizations have repeatedly expressed concern over the treatment of prisoners with mental illnesses in Pakistan.
In its World Report 2024, Human Rights Watch said that limited awareness of mental health contributes to the abuse and neglect of prisoners with psychosocial disabilities. The report also noted that Pakistani prisons face a severe shortage of mental health professionals and routinely fail to provide adequate psychological care.
Peter's death comes months after another prominent Christian blasphemy defendant died shortly after regaining his freedom.
In October 2025, Pastor Zafar Bhatti, founder of the Pakistan-based Jesus World Mission Church, died of cardiac arrest at his home in Rawalpindi three days after his release from prison, where he had spent 13 years facing blasphemy charges.
