US raises concern over military courts after sentencing of 25 May 9 rioters

The United States has voiced "deep concern" about the 25 civilians who were convicted by a Pakistani military tribunal, arguing that the military courts lacked due process guarantees, judicial independence and transparency.

In a brief statement issued on Tuesday, US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the Washington continued to call on Pakistani authorities to "respect" the right to a fair trial and due process, as enshrined in the country's constitution.

In a major development, the military court last week sentenced 25 individuals involved in the attacks on state installations during the violent protests of May 9, 2023.

The notorious and violent protests, over which the political workers are jailed, broke out after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was taken into custody in a graft case. In turn, scores of party workers were arrested and more than 100 civilians are facing military trials.

However, the party maintained that it had no role in the incidents involving military installations, including the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ), and has called for a judicial probe into last year's events.

The conviction of civilians in a military court drew reactions from the United Kingdom and the European Union as well.

The UK urged the federal government to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

"Military courts lack transparency, independent scrutiny and undermine the right to a fair trial," a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said in a statement issued on Monday.

However, the spokesperson said, the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings.

The EU was the first to react on the matter, expressing concern over the sentencing of 25 accused by a military court, saying that the verdicts were seen as inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the ICCPR.

"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," said a statement issued by the EU's European External Action Service.

Furthermore, it said, article 14 also stipulates that any "judgement rendered in a criminal case shall be made public".

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 benefitting from GSP+ status, the statement concluded.

Reacting to the EU’s statement on Monday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a conversation with Geo News said that the government was reviewing the European Union’s recent statement condemning the sentences handed down by military courts.

However, she said that Pakistan’s stance remained that its constitution and courts could resolve the country’s internal matters.

On the other hand, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on Monday said that the EU’s concerns on sentencing civilians in military courts were well-founded and justified, fearing it would further isolate Pakistan diplomatically.

Akram also maintained that this would also threaten Pakistan’s hard-won preferential access to the EU trade. "The EU’s concerns about military courts’ decisions being inconsistent with Pakistan’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) were valid".