Lahore, Pakistan, Sep 16, 2009 / 15:08 pm
The Catholic and Anglican bishops of Pakistan have written to the country’s president demanding an inquiry after a young Christian man died under suspicious circumstances in police custody. The man’s relationship with a Muslim woman sparked anti-Christian riots after the woman’s disapproving mother accused him of blasphemy.
The body of Robert Fanish, 19, was released to his family on Tuesday, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reports. His body was covered with marks on his torso and arms, leading observers to believe he had been severely beaten.
The marks on his body call into question the official police claim that Fanish hung himself. The results of a post-mortem examination are expected within days.
More than 3,000 people attended Fanish’s funeral on Tuesday. The funeral turned into a demonstration by people demanding an investigation into the teenager's death.