High Treason Case: Amnesty expresses concern over Musharraf's death sentence

The AI said it is crucial that he receives a fair trial without recourse to death penalty.

WASHINGTON (Web Desk) – Amnesty International on Wednesday expressed concern over death sentence awarded to former president Pervez Musharraf in a high treason case.

Responding to the conviction and sentencing to death of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf, for suspending the constitution when he imposed a state of emergency in November 2007, Amnesty International’s Deputy South Asia Director, Omar Waraich, said that it is crucial that he receives a fair trial without recourse to the death penalty.

He said that the death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment; it metes out vengeance, not justice.

At the same time, the AI also said, “No one is above the law, and it is encouraging to see Pakistan break with a history of impunity for powerful generals.”

The NGO, a leading campaigner for human rights, said that General (r) Pervez Musharraf and the government he led must be held to account for all human rights violations committed during their time in office, not just a select few.

The violations that the Musharraf government committed during its tenure includes extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions, deaths in custody, unlawful killings and other serious human rights violations committed against the political opposition, human rights defenders, members of civil society and suspected members of armed groups.

On Tuesday, a special court in Islamabad had sentenced former president and top military official Pervez Musharraf to death in high treason case.

The verdict that was reserved on December 5 was announced by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Waqar Seth, Justice Nazar Akbar of Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of Lahore High Court (LHC).

During the hearing, Justice Seth said that ex-president has been found guilty of violating the Article 6 of the Constitution by clamping the state of emergency on November 3, 2007.

According to the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973, “any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or hold in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance the Constitution by use of force or show force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.” The sentence for high treason is death or lifetime imprisonment.

The verdict was split 2-1 and a detailed verdict will be issued in 48 hours.

The trial -- which began in 2013 and is one of several involving Musharraf -- centred on his decision to suspend the constitution and impose emergency rule in 2007, according to his lawyer Akhtar Shah.

The move sparked widespread protests against Musharraf, ultimately leading to his resignation in the face of impeachment proceedings.

Musharraf s lawyer said the former general was currently ill and remained in Dubai. He said no decision had been made on whether to appeal.

The court ruling comes more than a week after Musharraf slammed the ongoing treason case against him in a video message showing the former general in a hospital bed appearing ill, while complaining of dizziness and blackouts.

"I think this case is baseless, they are not listening to me and they are not listening to my lawyer... it is a big injustice," said Musharraf.