(LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic man suffering from dementia died in custody in Pakistan after being falsely accused of blasphemy.
Amir Peter, the 61-year-old younger brother of a Capuchin priest, died July 1 while in custody in Camp Jail in Lahore awaiting trial on blasphemy charges.
Peter was arrested in July 2025 after he was accused of making derogatory remarks about the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. He remained in jail until his death, although his lawyers stressed that he had been declared mentally unfit to stand trial because he suffered from advanced dementia.
The Catholic man was admitted to a hospital on the night of June 30 and died the following day.
Peter’s funeral was reportedly attended by more than 200 people on July 2. Archbishop Khalid Rehmat of Lahore, who had only been appointed days before by Pope Leo XIV, celebrated the funeral Mass.
“We take pride in the fact that my brother didn’t leave his Christian faith till the last moment,” Father Henry Paul, Peter’s elder brother, said.
Peter’s lawyers said that his physical and mental health got continuously worse while in custody.
READ: Pakistan court acquits blind Catholic man facing death penalty for ‘blasphemy’ against Islam
“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 that represented 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 added.
Pakistani prisons are known for failing to provide psychological care to inmates who suffer from mental health conditions, as the 2024 World Report by Human Rights Watch noted.
In a case similar to Peter’s, Protestant pastor Zafar Bhatti died of cardiac arrest in October 2025 shortly after his release from prison after spending 13 years in detention while facing blasphemy charges.
Christians in Pakistan suffer harsh persecution in the majority Muslim nation. Religious minorities, especially Christians, are frequently “brought into line” with false accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan. Mobs loot stores or chase Christians through the streets when accusations of blasphemy about individuals circulate.
According to a local human rights group, 812 people were imprisoned on blasphemy-related charges in the Punjab region in 2025.
As LifeSiteNews reported, a Catholic man named Nadeem Masih, who is blind from birth, was recently acquitted of blasphemy charges for which he faced the death penalty.
The organization Voice of the Victims of Blasphemy Business Group said the acquittal was a rare example of a lower court dismissing a blasphemy case. Public pressure usually prevents lower courts from dismissing these charges, according to the group. The organization said it hoped courts would become less susceptible to public pressure against those accused of blasphemy.