Concerns over the recent sentence of 25 civilians from Pakistan by a military tribunal have been raised by the United States. This comes after their participation in anti-government rallies, which in May 2023 included attacks on military installations across the country. According to the Pakistani military, the punishments vary from two to ten years of “vigorous imprisonment”.
The U.S. State Department stressed in a statement that these military trials violate the rights to a fair trial that are protected by both international law and Pakistan’s constitution. In order to provide fair and unbiased hearings, they urged Pakistani authorities to guarantee that civilians are tried in civilian courts.
Additionally, the European Union expressed its concern, claiming that these rulings go against Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which requires that people be given fair and public trials. The rulings of the military court were denounced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is linked to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as an assault on democratic principles in Pakistan and a breach of human rights.
