Blasphemy laws are used to infringe upon human rights.  They frequently lead to arbitary arrest, detention, poor treatment in custody including torture, dubious legal procedures and poor application of justice.  The definition of the offence can be in the hands of police and judicial authorities.  Governments have used blasphemy laws to silence political opponents.  Individuals have fabricated blasphemy charges against others in communal disputes.  Religious extremists have used blasphemy laws to attack opponents.  Religious authorities have used blasphemy laws to impose orthodoxy on members minority religious groups with the sanction of the state.  And people accused of blasphemy have been subject to violence by unofficial mobs.