UN torture expert raises concerns over detention conditions of Imran Khan’s wife in Pakistan News
Voice of America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
UN torture expert raises concerns over detention conditions of Imran Khan’s wife in Pakistan

The UN Special Rapporteur on torture raised concerns on Wednesday about the detention conditions of Bushra Bibi Khan, the wife of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan. She urged Pakistani authorities to take immediate measures to improve Bushra Khan’s situation and to comply with international human rights standards.

Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards noted that Bushra Bibi Khan has been detained in a small cell that lacks minimum hygiene, has no ventilation, and is often plunged into darkness due to electricity cuts. She also reported that the detainee was given unclean water and inedible food. As a result, Khan has lost significant weight and developed medical complications, including infections, fainting, and a stomach ulcer.

Furthermore, the UN rapporteur indicated that authorities placed Bushra Khan in near-total isolation for excessive periods and prevented her from receiving family visits and having access to her legal counsel or personal physician.

The UN expert stressed that the persistence of these poor detention conditions would seriously impact Bushra Khan’s physical and mental integrity. Consequently, she called on Pakistani authorities to improve Bushra’s detention conditions and allow her to communicate with her lawyers and family members to prevent any further psychological or physical distress. She also emphasized that the state is obliged under international law to protect Bushra Kahn’s health during detention and provide her with all the legal safeguards enshrined in international human rights law.

The UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment mandates that any form of detention or imprisonment must respect the inherent dignity of the human person and forbids any forms of torture or cruel treatment. Additionally, the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, stipulate that prisoners’ accommodations must comply with all health requirements and take into consideration climatic conditions, lighting, heating, and ventilation. Both of the instruments also mandate that prisoners have the right to receive family visits and access to legal aid.

Bushra Bibi Khan is currently in prison following a series of criminal convictions in multiple cases alongside her husband Imran Khan. The most recent conviction was on December 22, when a court sentenced Bushra and Imran Khan to 17 years of prison for retailing and selling state gifts. In January, a Pakistani court sentenced Bushra Khan to seven years of prison in the Al-Qadir corruption case. Since Imran Khan’s removal as prime minister in 2022, both he and his wife have faced criminal proceedings, but they both have denied the accusations brought against them, arguing that they were politically motivated. Imran Khan has been incarcerated since 2023 following convictions for treason and corruption. Earlier this month, the UN expressed concerns about his detention conditions and warned that mistreatment could amount to torture.

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