UN expert decries detention of Pakistan ex-PM Khan's wife
Both Khan and Bibi were handed a 10-year prison sentence for criminal breach of trust and seven years on corruption charges in a case alleging the underpricing of state gifts.
The wife of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan is being held in conditions that could pose a serious risk to her physical and mental health, a UN expert warned on Wednesday.
Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, urged the Pakistani authorities to take immediate action to address the situation.
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were convicted of graft in January and were sentenced to 14 years and seven years in prison, respectively. On Saturday, a Pakistani court sentenced them to 17 years for corruption involving gifts the jailed ex-premier received while in office.
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Both Khan and Bibi were handed a 10-year prison sentence for criminal breach of trust and seven years on corruption charges in a case alleging the underpricing of state gifts.
"The state has an obligation to protect Mrs Khan's health and ensure conditions of detention compatible with human dignity," Edwards said in a statement.
Bibi is reportedly confined to a small and dirty cell, which is often dark due to power cuts, Edwards said. "Such conditions fall far below minimum international standards," she added.
"No detainee should be exposed to extreme heat, contaminated food or water, or conditions that aggravate existing medical conditions."
Reports also indicate that she is often kept in near-total isolation for more than 22 hours a day.
"The authorities must ensure Mrs Khan has the possibility to communicate with her lawyers and receive visits from family members, and have meaningful human contact throughout her detention," Edwards said.
The special rapporteur has formally raised Bibi's situation with the government in Islamabad.
UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council and do not speak for the United Nations itself.
Earlier this month, Edwards said Khan was being held in conditions that could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment. She urged the Pakistani authorities to ensure that the 73-year-old's conditions of detention fully complied with international norms.
Khan, who captained Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, became prime minister in 2018 but was ousted in 2022 by a no-confidence vote after losing favour with the military.
The former cricket star has been held in custody since August 2023, charged in dozens of cases that he claims are politically motivated.
