UN expert urges Pakistan to end Imran’s solitary detention

A United Nations human rights expert has urged Pakistan to immediately end the solitary confinement of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, warning that the conditions of his detention could amount to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under international law.

In a statement issued in Geneva, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards called on the government of Pakistan to take “immediate and effective action” to address reports of inhumane and undignified detention conditions faced by Khan, who has been incarcerated since 2023. “I call on Pakistani authorities to ensure that Khan’s conditions of detention fully comply with international norms and standards,” Edwards said.

According to the Special Rapporteur, since his transfer to Adiala Jail on September 26, 2023, Khan has reportedly been held for excessive periods in solitary confinement, confined to his cell for up to 23 hours a day, with highly restricted access to the outside world.