ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) on Sunday strongly reacted to the recent conviction of 25 civilians by a military court for their alleged involvement in the May 9 riots last year.

In a statement issued here, an EU spokesman said that “these verdicts are seen as inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).”

The statement further said that “in line with article 14 of ICCPR every person is entitled to a fair and public trial in a court that is independent, impartial and competent, and has the right to adequate and effective legal representation.”

May 9 riots: Military courts award 2-10 years jail terms to 25 civilians

The EU declared that any judgement rendered in a criminal case shall be made public, adding “under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary countries, including Pakistan, have voluntarily agreed to implement effectively 27 international core conventions - including the ICCPR - in order to continue benefiting from GSP+ status.”

This is pertinent to mention that military courts sentenced 25 civilians over their alleged involvement in riots and attacks on army installations in May last year, the military said on Saturday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan Army’s media wing, said that in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision, the Field General Court Martial, in the first phase, sentenced 25 accused after examining all evidence, affording all legal rights to the accused.

The military courts verdicts have attracted widespread condemnation as Amnesty International had also called the move “an intimidation tactic, designed to crack down on dissent” and said it was “contrary to international law.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024