Pakistan faces backlash over military court's conviction of 25 civilians

Islamabad

The European Union on Sunday denounced military court verdicts against 25 supporters of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the judgments contravene the country's international obligations to ensure a fair and public trial for civilians.

The individuals were tried and sentenced to prison terms of two to 10 years for attacks on military installations during nationwide anti-government protests in May 2023, the Pakistani military announced on Saturday.

The statement did not provide further details or publicize the verdicts, promising to announce sentences for the dozens of remaining defendants in connection with the violence as due process was completed.

In a statement released on Sunday, the EU expressed concern over the sentencing of the 25 civilians.

These verdicts are considered inconsistent with Pakistan's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), he said.

The multilateral treaty obligates nations to provide individuals with a fair and public trial before an independent, impartial and competent tribunal who is entitled to adequate and effective legal representation.

The EU said the treaty requires any judgment in a criminal case to be made public.

The statement highlights that countries benefiting from the EU's Generalized System of Preferences Plus, or GSP+, including Pakistan, have voluntarily agreed to effectively implement 27 core international conventions, including the ICCPR.

The GSP+ designation grants zero import duties on more than two-thirds of tariff lines when exporting to the European Union, providing cash-strapped Pakistan with a major and crucial trading partner.

The Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party, which led anti-government protests last year, quickly rejected the decisions, calling them a blatant violation of human rights and the rule of law in the country. The party has long claimed that the riots were the result of military agents infiltrating the ranks of peaceful protesters.

The real perpetrators orchestrated a false flag operation that day and are now using military trials as judge, jury and executioner, targeting innocent civilians, the PTI claimed in a tweet on its social media platform X.

Since August 2023, Khan has been incarcerated and facing multiple charges, including alleged incitement of attacks on military installations, although he was in custody when nationwide protests erupted last year, demanding his release.

The prestigious English-language Pakistani newspaper DAWN denounced the military convictions in an editorial on Sunday.

Can serving officers, bound by the military hierarchy, truly make independent judgments? The single-line descriptions of the convictions accompanying the names of the 25 people can hardly be considered reasoned judgments, the newspaper demands.

The fact that such trials take place under civilian supervision adds a layer of irony to this distressing situation. Pakistani democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on fundamental democratic values, we read in the editorial.

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