UN rights experts: Pakistan must halt execution of man with psychosocial disability News
UN rights experts: Pakistan must halt execution of man with psychosocial disability

[JURIST] Four UN human rights experts on Tuesday called on [press release] Pakistan to halt the execution of Imdad Ali, a mentally disabled man that was convicted of murder in 2001. The experts called Imdad Ali’s execution “unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution, as well as a form of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment,” and called for it to be annulled. Further, the UN requests a re-trial that would take into consideration his disability, and for Imdad Ali to be provided psychosocial treatment in the interim.

In addition to the UN, Human Rights Watch earlier this month called on [JURIST report] Pakistan to stop Imdad Ali’s execution, calling it “an affront to decency [that] serves no criminal justice purpose.” More generally, capital punishment [JURIST op-ed] remains a controversial issue worldwide. Last month a UN rights expert expressed “outrage” [JURIST report] regarding Iran’s execution of 12 people for drug-related charges. And in July Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated [JURIST report] that he would approve reinstating the death penalty so long as the measure had sufficient support in the Grand National Assembly.

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