A United Nations human rights expert has urged Pakistan to immediately end the solitary confinement of former prime minister Imran Khan, warning that his detention conditions could amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under international law.
In a Geneva statement, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards called on Pakistan to take “immediate and effective action” to respond to reports of undignified and inhumane detention conditions faced by Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023. “I call on Pakistani authorities to ensure that Khan’s conditions of detention fully comply with international norms and standards,” Edwards said.
The Special Rapporteur noted that since Khan’s transfer to Adiala Jail on September 26, 2023, he has reportedly been subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, kept in his cell for up to 23 hours a day with severely restricted access to the outside world.
