Sat Dec 21 11:06:04 UTC 2024: ## Military Court Sentences 25 Civilians Over 2023 Pakistan Unrest; Rights Groups Cry Foul
**ISLAMABAD** – A Pakistani military court has sentenced 25 civilians to between two and ten years in prison for their involvement in violent protests targeting military installations in May 2023, sparking condemnation from human rights organizations. The sentences, announced Saturday, followed unrest triggered by the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Fourteen individuals received the maximum sentence of ten years of “rigorous imprisonment,” according to a statement from the military’s public relations wing. While the statement didn’t detail specific charges, it labeled the actions of Khan’s supporters – who stormed military buildings and set fire to a general’s home – as “political terrorism.” The military insisted the ruling serves as a warning against vigilantism.
The statement also noted that additional trials are underway in anti-terrorism courts for others involved in the unrest, which resulted in at least eight deaths. The military vowed to pursue justice against the “masterminds and planners” of the violence.
Amnesty International denounced the military court’s decision as an “intimidation tactic” aimed at suppressing dissent. The ruling comes amid a broader crackdown on Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, with thousands of supporters and officials arrested since Khan’s arrest and subsequent imprisonment. Khan, who faces numerous court cases he claims are politically motivated, was barred from participating in the February elections, which were themselves plagued by allegations of irregularities. Despite the crackdown, PTI secured the most seats but was excluded from power. Recent protests in Islamabad further underscore the ongoing political tension. Khan himself was recently indicted on charges of inciting attacks against the military.
First Piper 