Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, recently shared a harrowing experience during an interview with Joe Rogan, revealing that he was once at risk of being sentenced to death in Pakistan due to content posted on Facebook. This startling admission came amid ongoing legal battles between Meta and the Pakistani government, which has accused the platform of allowing content that violates the country’s strict blasphemy laws.

Power of Pakistan

pic.twitter.com/V4qokhbq76

— Kreately.in (@KreatelyMedia) February 11, 2025

Zuckerberg’s comments shed light on the complex and often fraught relationship between global tech platforms and local governments. In this case, a specific incident involving a user-posted image, which had a drawing of Prophet Mohammed, sparked a lawsuit against Zuckerberg, with the Pakistani government seeking to hold him personally responsible for the alleged blasphemy. Although Zuckerberg expressed little concern for his own safety, acknowledging that he had no intention of visiting Pakistan, the experience highlighted the broader challenges faced by Meta and other global platforms as they navigate the intersection of free speech and local regulations.

As Zuckerberg explained, “There are places around the world that just have different values that go against our free expression values and want us to crack down and ban way more stuff than I think a lot of people would believe would be the right thing to do.” This sentiment reflects the tension between Meta’s commitment to free expression and the varying cultural norms and laws that govern online content around the world.

The issue is particularly pronounced in Pakistan, where blasphemy laws can result in severe penalties, including imprisonment or even death. The legal system in Pakistan has historically been used to target individuals and organisations accused of violating these laws. In this context, Zuckerberg’s comments underscore the need for a nuanced approach to content regulation, one that balances respect for local cultural norms with the principles of free expression.

Moreover, Zuckerberg’s remarks highlight the role of government influence in shaping the online landscape. He argued that foreign governments exerting pressure on American tech companies requires stronger support from the US government. As he noted, the “power of saying they’re going to throw you in prison” is a level of pressure that necessitates protection for tech companies.

Meta’s experience in Pakistan is not an isolated incident. Meta has had its own share of legal challenges regarding its content that some governments deem harmful, offensive, or illegal.
 

Kolkata:

A Murshidabad court on Friday sentenced to death one person and awarded life imprisonment to another in the rape and murder of a minor girl and necrophilia in West Bengal’s Farakka in October.

The sentence comes on the 61st day of the crime, and the investigation was completed and chargesheet submitted by the police in 21 days.

The additional sessions judge, Jangipur court, sentenced Dinabandhu Halder to death and Subhojit Halder to life term.

The court had on Thursday declared Dinabandhu guilty of rape and murder, and Subhojit of assisting him in the crime.

Following the pronouncement of the sentence on Friday, Additional Director General (ADG), West Bengal Police, Supratim Sarkar said that Dinabandhu had lured the girl, offering her flowers on Vijaya Dashami on October 13 at Farakka in Murshidabad district.

She was raped and murdered, and rape was committed on her dead body again thereafter, which is termed necrophilia, by Dinabandhu and he was assisted in the crime by Subhojit, the officer told reporters.

Mr Sarkar said that a special investigation team was formed to probe the case and following the arrest of the two persons, the chargesheet was submitted within 21 days.

Hailing the sentence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that every rapist deserves capital punishment.

“I have said this before, and I will say it again: Every rapist deserves nothing less than the harshest punishment — capital punishment.

“As a society, we must unite to eradicate this heinous social malice. I believe that swift, time-bound trials and punishments will serve as a powerful deterrent, sending a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated,” she said in a post on X.

Congratulating the state police and those involved in the prosecution process, the CM said “my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim”.

The sentence in the Farakka crime comes barely a week after another death sentence awarded to a man for the rape and murder of a 10-year old girl at Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district.

The death sentence to Mostakin Sardar on December 6 was awarded by a sessions court on the 62nd day after the body of the girl was discovered on October 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

A court here on Thursday handed death sentence to a person for killing his wife and seriously injuring 6-year-old daughter by slitting her throat following a dispute with his spouse over monetary issues. The incident took place in Bharatpur area of Bhubaneswar in 2022.

The convict identified as Sanjeet Das a.k.a Banku is a resident of Ghatikia area in Bhubaneswar.

“A jobless Sanjeet depended on the income of his deceased wife, Saraswati who used to work as a head nurse in a nearby private hospital. The couple would often engage in a fight over monetary issues. Meanwhile, Sanjeet was further worried after the birth of their second daughter just four days before the day on which the crime took place,” a police source said.

On June 9, 2022, Sanjeet and Saraswati again entered into a heated argument and in a fit of rage Sanjeet stabbed his wife with a sharp weapon multiple times, causing her death.

He also slit the throat of his six-year-old daughter before fleeing the crime scene. The girl recovered from the injury after fighting for her life for more than two months.

Based on the complaint lodged by the deceased’s brother, the Bharatpur police registered a case and arrested the accused from a liquor shop near his residence.

The court after examining the statements of 15 witnesses and 57 exhibits pronounced the judgment. Considering the brutal murder of his own wife and the attempt to kill his innocent daughter by Sanjeet as a rarest of rare crime, the court on Thursday awarded him the death sentence.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhubaneswar:

A court in Odisha’s Nayagarh district on Friday sentenced a person to death for killing two persons including an elderly woman in Odagaon area of the district in 2019.

The convict was identified as Niranjan Mallik of Kushadhipa village in Nayagarh district.

Niranjan, who was addicted to alcohol and other psychotropic substances, used to engage in violent acts against women in his village and other nearby areas, an official said.

“On January 17, 2019, Niranjan killed a night watchman, Lochan Sethi, who was on duty at Odagaon vegetable market and a 70-year-old woman, Badani Pradhan inside her house. Three other persons including the deceased Pradhan’s daughter also sustained grievous injuries in the attack,” said Indubhushan Mishra, Additional Public Prosecutor, Odagaon.

Mr Mishra further stated that the court, after examining the statements of 27 witnesses and other exhibits, pronounced the death sentence holding Niranjan guilty. The convict has also been directed by the court to deposit a fine of Rs 50,000.

Meanwhile, the court has instructed the officials of Nayagarh District Legal Services Authority to pay financial compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the deceased persons’ family members.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A court in Odisha’s Keonjhar district has sentenced five persons to death for the murder of politician Rama Chandra Behera in 2019.

The additional district and sessions judge of Anandpur pronounced the verdict on Tuesday based on the testimony of 53 witnesses and 94 documents, additional public prosecutor Aswini Kumar Mallick said.

The five convicts are Sanjay Prusty, Ajit Prusty, Arun Prusty, Alekh Prusty and Dola Boitei. One of the accused Pramod Das, who was a minor then, is under judicial custody of a child care institute (CCI), Mallick added.

Rama Chandra Behera, a former block chairman, was brutally murdered near his residence at Dhakotha village in Keonjhar district on March 25, 2019, prior to the general and state assembly polls.

The perpetrators visited Rama Chandra Behera’s house, called him out, and then killed him. Additionally, they mutilated his body.

He was initially taken to the sub-divisional hospital in Anandpur and subsequently referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. However, he succumbed to his injuries on the way to Cuttack, police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday expressed shock over eight former Indian Navy personnel being handed down the death sentence by a court in Qatar and said the entire case is shrouded in “mystery and opacity”. The navy personnel were on Thursday handed down the death sentence by a court in Qatar, a verdict that was described as “deeply shocking” by India as it vowed to explore all legal options.

In a post on X, Mr Tharoor said, “Shocked to learn that Qatar has passed a death sentence on eight former Indian Navy officers. The details of the entire case are shrouded in mystery & opacity.” “Trust @MEAIndia & @PMOIndia will act immediately with the highest levels of the Qatar government to support an appeal and bring them home,” the former minister of state for external affairs said.

Shocked to learn that #Qatar has passed a death sentence on eight former @IndianNavy officers. The details of the entire case are shrouded in mystery & opacity. Trust @MEAIndia & @PMOIndia will act immediately with the highest levels of the Qatar government to support an appeal…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 27, 2023

The Indian nationals, who worked with private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year reportedly in an alleged case of espionage. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public.

In its reaction to the death sentence, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said it is attaching “high importance” to this case and is exploring all legal options.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)