Joseph Janssen
Pakistan activist
Joseph Janssen (born October 15, 1986) is a Pakistani minority rights activist, recognized for his efforts in supporting persecuted Christians, particularly those accused of blasphemy, individuals trapped in debt slavery, and young girls subjected to forced marriages and exploitation.
Family crisis and advocacy
In 2014, his sister, Shagufta Kausar, and her husband, Shafqat Emmanuel, were falsely accused of blasphemy, leading to their sentencing to death. The couple, who were illiterate and unable to send the allegedly blasphemous text message, became the subject of a high-profile case. Joseph received threats from the police and overheard his brother-in-law being beaten.
Fearing for his safety, Joseph sought asylum in Spain in 2014, where he joined the Neocatechumenal Way, a Catholic Christian movement focused on the spiritual formation of adults. From there, he began to advocate for his sister’s case and raised international awareness about the persecution of Christians in Pakistan. The case gained support from various Christian organizations and human rights defenders, including Pakistani lawyer Saif-Ul-Malook, who worked on their behalf.
On June 3, 2021, the Lahore High Court overturned their convictions due to a lack of evidence, and the couple was acquitted. Following their acquittal, the couple was granted asylum in a European country due to safety concerns in Pakistan.
Current work and recognition
Joseph and his wife are actively involved with the Jubilee Campaign, a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the rights of persecuted Christians and promoting religious freedom worldwide.
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This entry incorporates text from “Joseph Janssen” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.