A Pakistani court has convicted and sentenced a Christian man to seven years in prison for insulting Islam’s holy book, the Koran, as he practiced magic, police said today.

A court delivered the ruling on Monday against Bashir Masih, 35, in the town of Chistian, about 90 miles northeast of Multan, a major city in eastern Punjab province, said Haji Nazir Ahmed, a local police official.

Masih was arrested in August last year in the cotton-growing village of Chak 109 Fateh after a Muslim man complained to police that Masih was insulting the Koran by putting his legs on the holy book while he lay in bed at home, Ahmed said.

Ahmed said that after his arrest Masih told police he would place the Koran on his feet and tear out pages from the holy book on which he would write magic spells to put inside amulets that he’d give to fellow Christians.

Masih was sentenced under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and moved to a jail in the nearby town of Bhawalnagar. He can appeal the sentence.

Masih and his lawyer were not immediately available for comment.

Under the blasphemy laws, anyone who insults the Koran, Islam or its prophet Muhammad can be punished by death. Throwing the holy book on the ground, touching it with feet or saying derogatory things about it are deemed insulting.

Human rights groups have demanded that the blasphemy laws be abolished. Christian groups allege persecution under the legislation.

About three per cent of Pakistan’s 150 million population are Christians. The vast majority are Muslims.