Pakistan: UN expert calls for an end to Imran Khan's solitary confinement, inhumane detention conditions

Geneva [Switzerland], December 13 (ANI): UN experts have called out and asked Pakistan's Government to take immediate and effective action to address reports of inhumane and undignified detention conditions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, warning that they could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.

The message was shared by the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, on Friday, who urged the Government of Pakistan to take immediate and effective action

"I call on Pakistani authorities to ensure that Khan's conditions of detention fully comply with international norms and standards," Edwards said.

"Since his transfer to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on 26 September 2023, Imran Khan has reportedly been held for excessive periods in solitary confinement, confined for 23 hours a day in his cell, and with highly restricted access to the outside world," she said. "His cell is reportedly under constant camera surveillance."

As per the statement, the Special Rapporteur stressed that prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement is prohibited under international human rights law - and when it extends longer than 15 days, it constitutes a form of psychological torture.

"Khan's solitary confinement should be lifted without delay. Not only is it an unlawful measure, extended isolation can bring about very harmful consequences for his physical and mental health," she said.

The official statement highlighted how, according to information received, Khan is not permitted outdoor activity or interaction with other detainees and is unable to join communal prayers. Visits from lawyers, family members and others authorised by the courts are frequently interrupted or ended prematurely.

"Imran Khan is held in a small cell that lacks natural light and adequate ventilation. Temperatures reportedly become extreme in both winter and summer, and poor air circulation leads to foul odours and insect infestations. As a result, he has reportedly suffered nausea, vomiting, and noticeable weight loss", the statement added.

"Anyone deprived of liberty must be treated with humanity and dignity," the expert said. "Detention conditions must reflect the individual's age and health situation, including appropriate sleeping arrangements, climatic protection, adequate space, lighting, heating, and ventilation."

Imran Khan, aged 72, has a history of significant health issues, including a serious spinal injury from a 2013 accident and gunshot wounds from a 2022 assassination attempt.

"Khan has reportedly been denied adequate medical attention," Edwards said. "I urge the authorities to allow a visit by his personal physicians."

The Special Rapporteur has raised Imran Khan's situation with the Government of Pakistan and will continue to follow developments.

On Friday, in a post on X, Imran Khan's ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith highlighted how her sons had not been allowed to see or speak to Imran Khan for 22 months now. She mentioned that despite posting about him, the reach is throttled and asked Elon Musk to "fix the visibility" so that her message reaches the masses.

"A personal plea to @elonmusk. My two sons have not been allowed to see or speak to their father Imran Khan who has been held unlawfully (acc to the UN) for 22 months of solitary confinement. X is the only place left where we can still tell the world he is a political prisoner without basic human rights. Yet every time I post about him, the reach inside Pakistan (and often globally) is throttled to almost zero. You promised free speech, not "speech but no one hears it". Please fix the visibility filtering on my account so we can get the message out!"

A personal plea to @elonmusk

My two sons have not been allowed to see or speak to their father Imran Khan who has been held unlawfully (acc to the UN) for 22 months of solitary confinement.

X is the only place left where we can still tell the world he is a political prisoner…

— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) December 12, 2025

Rumours over Imran Khan's condition intensified after unverified reports from Afghan media claimed he had died in custody. His son, Kasim Khan, demanded evidence that the former prime minister is alive, noting on X that it has been "845 days" since Imran was jailed and that he has allegedly been held in "a death cell" for six weeks without family access.

Imran Khan has been in prison since August 2023 in multiple cases. For more than a month, authorities have imposed tight restrictions on visits, which PTI claims are being enforced at the direction of an army officer, an accusation officials reject.

PTI maintained that allowing Uzma Khanum to meet her brother was only a starting point and said regular, unhindered meetings must now be permitted in line with court directives as political tensions continue around the incarcerated opposition leader. (ANI)

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