Civilian tried by Pakistan's military court: Idris Khattak, minority human rights activist

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2024-12-23T19:28:00+05:00 TFT
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Idris Khattak, a Pashtun human rights defender, was subjected to enforced disappearance on November 13, 2019, from the Swabi-Islamabad interchange due to his advocacy work. After seven months of pressure, he was officially declared arrested by the Pakistani military and subsequently tried under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for alleged espionage—a charge his family, civil society, and Khattak himself deny. Human rights law experts categorize the OSA as a draconian law. Khattak was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and his appeal remains pending before the military court. In this episode, Talia Khattak, Idris Khattak’s daughter, speaks with host Rabia Mehmood on the toll his trial and imprisonment have taken on him and his family. According to his testimony, Khattak was subjected to torture during his disappearance, and his conditions in Adiala Jail remain harsh and degrading.

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