Man jailed for 13 years for Facebook 'hate speech'

An anti-terrorism court has jailed a Shia for 13 years after he posted what it deemed sectarian hate speech on Facebook, officials said Monday, with rights activists condemning the ruling as "extremely concerning". Saqlain Haidar, 32, who ran a small hotel in Chiniot, was also fined 250,000 rupees ($2,300) for "posting hateful material against companions of the Prophet of Islam on Facebook", an official of the Counter Terrorism Department told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Abdul Majeed, a senior local counter-terrorism official, confirmed the incident. "The convict was arrested on October 27 after locals complained about him and he was charged for spreading sectarian hatred under various clauses of the anti-terrorism act," he told AFP.