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Idris Khattak, a Pakistani human rights defender, was forcibly disappeared 5 years ago. He was, and remains, a single father of 2 daughters. For almost two years after his disappearance, they had no clue about his whereabouts, worried about his safety and whether he was alive.
Authorities eventually revealed that he was being held in Military custody under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), a law aimed at protecting information held by government employees. He was tried and wrongfully convicted by a military court under the OSA and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in December 2021. An appeal against his conviction is pending before a military court and offers some hope for his release, but there has been little movement or response. The human rights defender has spent nearly five years of imprisonment in crowded and unsanitary conditions.
We talk to his daughter, Talia, who has been campaigning tirelessly for his release and for the Court to respond. She tells us about what it was like to lose her only parent, and what her father and her family has endured since his disappearance.
Front Line Defenders calls on the Pakistan authorities to immediately end his persecution, remove all legal cases against him and release Idris Khattak safely to his family. We call for accountability for his enforced disappearance and treatment by the Pakistan authorities, including the unlawful and unjust practice of trying a civilian in a military court, and denying him access to an effective legal remedy and due process rights.
See more details here: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/idris-khattak
How You Can Take Action
1. Advocate to the President:
Urge the President of Pakistan to act for the release of Idris Khattak. You can:
- Post on Social Media: Share your message on X (Twitter) by tagging @PresOfPakistan, @AAliZardari, or @mohrpakistan.
- Send a Letter by Mail:
Address your letter to:
The President of Pakistan
Aiwan-e-Sadr
Islamabad, Pakistan
2. Send Messages to Idris Khattak:
Although direct letters cannot reach Idris in Adiala Jail, his family can print and share your messages. Here's how to get involved:
- Post on Social Media: Share your message on X, Facebook, or Instagram, tagging:
