Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A December 21 decision by a military court in Pakistan that sentenced 25 civilians to prison has set the European Union raising serious concerns.
It was reported that the rulings breached international standards on fair trials and could therefore put at risk Pakistan’s trade benefits under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus, or GSP+.
As said by the European External Action Service (EEAS), in a press release, the European Union states that
these judgments are recognized as inconsistent with the undertakings of Pakistan under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Under Article 14 of ICCPR, every person is entitled to a fair and public trial before a court which is independent, impartial and competent and to fair and adequate legal representation. It further provides that any judgment rendered in a criminal case shall be public.
However, the European Union further claimed that under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary nations, also in the case of Pakistan have voluntarily agreed to implement 27 international core conventions effectively covering the ICCPR to maintain their GSP+ standing.
What are the details of Pakistan’s military court ruling affecting civilian rights?
On 21 Dec 2024, in their alleged parts in riots and attacks on army installations a year ago, the country’s military courts have produced verdicts against 25 civilians so far, reported the country’s military at the weekend. In a statement, the Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), stated that in the wake of the recent decision by the Supreme Court, the Field General Court Martial, in its first stage, sentenced 25 charged after considering all the proof and giving all legal rights to the indicted.
“All convicts have the right to appeal and other legal recourses, as assured by the law and the Constitution,” ISPR stated. The military courts gave over two years to 10 years of relentless imprisonment sentences to 25 civilians who are the followers of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Approximately 85 civilians have been in military detention since May 2023. The violent happenings on May 9 included episodes on military installations after the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case.
Promulgation of the sentences of remaining accused is also being done and will be announced shortly as and when the due process is complete,
the military stated.
