Pakistan imprisons 25 Imran Khan supporters following violent protests.

Pakistan’s military tribunals have convicted and sentenced 25 persons for their roles in the pro-Imran Khan rioting last year, the armed forces said Saturday, with the bulk receiving decade-long jail sentences. Ex-Prime Minister Khan was jailed in May of last year after being removed from office and launching an extraordinary campaign of disobedience against the country’s powerful military authorities. His incarceration on bribery charges provoked widespread protests, with some targeting armed forces facilities and resulting in unusual civilian indictments in military courts. Amnesty International described the measure as “an intimidation tactic, designed to crack down on dissent” and “contrary to international law”.

Military tribunals are usually opaque, but after months of secrecy, the military public relations wing identified 25 persons who had been convicted. All of the accused are men, and 14 have been sentenced to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment,” according to the military, with the remaining 11 slated to serve shorter jail sentences. “All sentences announced by the military courts are disproportionate and excessive,” claimed a spokeswoman for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. “These sentences are rejected.” The judgments were issued barely three weeks after the capital, Islamabad, was rocked by new turmoil, with tens of thousands of Khan supporters flooding in to demand his release. The government said at least five security personnel were killed whilst PTI allege at least 10 of their own were shot dead by security forces before crowds retreated. 

A military statement did not specify the crime each person had been convicted of or when, instead noting simply the location of their offense. The shortest punishment handed out was two years. During the May 2023 riots, Pakistan “witnessed tragic incidents of politically motivated violence and arson at multiple locations,” according to a military statement. “These blatant acts of violence not only shocked the nation but also underscored necessity of checking this unacceptable attempt of political terrorism.” The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said “no civilian should be tried in a military court under any circumstances”.

“This violates the fundamental rights guaranteed by Pakistan’s Constitution as well as the international human rights obligations to which Pakistan is a signatory,” the organization stated in a statement on social media site X. Khan, a former cricket star, was prime minister from 2018 to 2022, when he was removed by parliament in a no-confidence vote. He blamed his failure on the leader of the strong military establishment. Pakistan’s generals are regarded as the country’s political kingmakers, having previously ruled directly for decades.

Khan’s May 2023 imprisonment lasted just a few days, but he was arrested again three months later and has been imprisoned ever since, facing a slew of court trials he alleges are politically motivated. Meanwhile, the PTI was targeted in a massive crackdown following the protests, with thousands of grassroots followers and senior leaders jailed. The 72-year-old was forbidden from contesting the February elections, which were plagued by manipulation claims. A United Nations panel of experts found in September that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office”.