Pakistan’s Khan in jail for 3 years: PTI, Amnesty slam solitary confinement

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan marked three years of imprisonment on Wednesday as his political party and international human rights organizations intensified calls for his release and restoration of constitutional protections. Khan, who led Pakistan from 2018 until his removal via no-confidence vote in April 2022, has been held since August 2023 on charges he characterizes as politically motivated. Thousands of supporters from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party organized demonstrations across the country under heavy security to demand his immediate freedom.

Khan's legal situation has deteriorated significantly during his detention. He currently serves a 14-year sentence for corruption while his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year sentence in the same case. In December, both were sentenced to an additional 17 years in prison related to a case involving state gifts. The authorities have also arrested other PTI leaders and barred the party from participating in the 2024 general election.

Amnesty International reported that Khan has been denied contact with his family for more than eight months and has had no meaningful access to his lawyers since December. The organization characterized his prolonged solitary confinement as unlawful and called for restoration of his visitation rights and access to medical care. Two separate UN mechanisms have similarly concluded that Khan's detention conditions fall below international standards. Pakistani authorities have rejected these criticisms, maintaining that their judicial processes comply with national law.