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Rescuing Persecuted Christians

Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana

Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana was a 49 year old Sri Lankan man who was lynched by a mob on 3 December 2021 in Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan over allegations of blasphemy.


Priyantha Diyawadanage, 48, a factory manager in the city of Sialkot, was beaten to death on Friday and his body set alight.

More than 100 people have been arrested so far, said Pakistan PM Imran Khan.

He has described the incident as a "day of shame" for his country.

A mob of hundreds descended on the sports equipment factory in the district of Sialkot in Punjab province and grabbed Mr Diyawadana after he was accused of blasphemy.

They lynched him before burning his body in public, police said.

The victim's charred body will be transported to Islamabad, where Sri Lankan embassy officials will take the coffin home.


In the conservative society of Pakistan, allegations of blasphemy can prompt mob attacks, and the country's blasphemy law carries the death penalty for anyone found guilty of the offence.

Police have arrested 13 suspects and detained dozens of others allegedly involved in the lynching.


The victim's family in Sri Lanka are in despair.

His wife, Nilushi Dissanayaka, called on both Pakistan and Sri Lanka's governments to conduct a full investigation to "bring justice to my husband and my two children".

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