Several journalists, Youtubers, and ex-military officers sentenced to life imprisonment in Pakistan due to…, bad news for Imran Khan as…
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, an anti-terrorism court judge, announced the verdict on Friday in Islamabad following the completion of the trial held in absentia.
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. He also faces trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023 protests. The PTI has frequently raised concerns about Imran’s health and that of his wife.
Sisters of former prime minister Imran Khan and Leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have also been protesting.
Who were sentenced to life imprisonment in Pakistan?
According to the latest updates, an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan sentenced seven individuals to life imprisonment on Friday after convicting them of inciting violence during riots in 2023 linked to the arrest of Imran Khan.
Why were journalists, YouTubers, and ex-military officers specifically targeted in these cases?
The convicted included journalists, YouTube creators, and ex-military members. As noted in the court’s ruling, those convicted were former military officers who have now become active YouTubers: Adil Raja and Syed Akbar Hussain, as well as Wajahat Saeed Khan (journalist), Sabir Shakir (journalist), Shaheen Sehbai (journalist), Haider Raza Mehdi (commentator), and Moeed Pirzada (analyst).
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, an anti-terrorism court judge, announced the verdict on Friday in Islamabad following the completion of the trial held in absentia. According to the Al Jazeera report, none of those accused appeared before the court as they all are were all residing outside Pakistan. The sentences are linked to cases filed following the unrest in May 2023, when supporters of Imran Khan responded to his brief arrest in a corruption case by targeting military installations and damaging government property.
Since that period, the Pakistani military and government have enacted an extensive crackdown against Khan’s political party and other dissenting voices, employing anti-terrorism legislation and military courts to prosecute hundreds accused of inciting violence and attacking state institutions.
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