Zafar Bhatti, a Christian pastor in Pakistan who spent 13 years in prison on a false blasphemy conviction, died of cardiac arrest just three days after his acquittal. He had returned home after being cleared by a high court, but collapsed before his family could make arrangements for medical care.

Bhatti, 62, founder of the Jesus World Mission Church, was arrested in July 2012 in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, after a local cleric accused him of sending text messages that insulted the mother of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was charged under Article 295(C) of Pakistan’s Penal Code, a provision that carries the death penalty for defiling the name of the Muslim prophet.

His lawyer, Saif ul Malook, told UCA News that Bhatti’s health had sharply deteriorated during his time in Adiala Jail. He suffered from diabetes and heart disease and had two minor heart attacks while in custody, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide said, reporting on his death.

Malook had repeatedly petitioned for bail on medical grounds, arguing that prison conditions were inadequate and had worsened Bhatti’s condition. Bhatti, who maintained his innocence from the outset, was reportedly tortured in custody to confess.

In 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison, but his case remained in appeal limbo for years.

According to Church In Chains, at least 47 hearings were scheduled between his conviction and his final release, with each one adjourned without resolution.

Despite medical warnings, including a 2019 doctor’s note that a third heart attack could be fatal, Bhatti remained in custody until his acquittal last Thursday.

Three years earlier, in January 2022, a sessions court had escalated his punishment to a death sentence, though this was never carried out.

Voice of the Martyrs reported that Bhatti’s release was met with celebration by his family and supporters. Reunited with his wife, Nawab Bibi, the pastor was said to be hopeful and in relatively good spirits, though still physically weak.

His death came as a shock to the Christian community in Pakistan, which had long campaigned for his release.

During his imprisonment, Bibi had repeatedly spoken of the psychological toll it took on them both.

She said in a 2017 interview with British Pakistani Christian Association reporter Shamim Masih that her husband faced daily threats and beatings inside the jail. “There have been numerous attempts to kill my husband — he is bullied every day and he is not safe from inmates and prison staff alike,” she said. “Every day I worry that I will receive word that he is dead.”

She said they would pray together during prison visits, hoping for divine intervention. “I know God will free him one day, but ask for Christians across the world to pray for him and to challenge their governments to help him.”

The couple’s church work had drawn the ire of local residents, she said, particularly because his congregation had grown despite opposition. “I wish our persecutors would see that Christians are not evil creatures. We are human beings created by God, the same God that created them, although they do not know this yet,” she said.

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have been widely condemned by international rights groups.

Open Doors USA and other watchdog organizations have said that the laws are often used to target minorities, settle personal vendettas, or incite mob violence. Convictions are frequently based on little or no evidence, and appeals can drag on for years.

CSW’s chief executive, Scot Bower, said the case showed how the law can be manipulated to punish innocent people. He called for reparations to Bhatti’s widow and demanded a full repeal of Pakistan’s blasphemy provisions.

Bower said blasphemy laws are “vaguely worded and frequently misused to settle personal scores or target members of religious minority communities.”