OHCHR
Main Navigation OHCHR
Get Involved
This Human Rights Day, fund what’s essential.
Give to the
work that protects human dignity for everyone, everywhere.
Donate
Close
Latest Media Center
Press releases Special Procedures
Pakistan: Imran Khan’s solitary confinement and inhumane detention conditions must end, UN expert says
12 December 2025
Share
Related
Press releases
Torture items found for sale at Paris security trade fair, UN expert calls for constant monitoring
Press releases
Spain: UN experts urge Parliament to approve pending law on “stolen babies”
Press releases
UN experts urge Belarus to stop interfering in the legal profession
GENEVA – The UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, today urged the Government of Pakistan to take immediate and effective action to address reports of inhumane and undignified detention conditions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, warning that they could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment.
“I call on Pakistani authorities to ensure that Khan’s conditions of detention fully comply with international norms and standards,” Edwards said.
“Since his transfer to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on 26 September 2023, Imran Khan has reportedly been held for excessive periods in solitary confinement, confined for 23 hours a day in his cell, and with highly restricted access to the outside world,” she said. “His cell is reportedly under constant camera surveillance.”
The Special Rapporteur stressed that prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement is prohibited under international human rights law – and when it extends longer than 15 days, it constitutes a form of psychological torture.
“Khan’s solitary confinement should be lifted without delay. Not only is it an unlawful measure, extended isolation can bring about very harmful consequences for his physical and mental health,” she said.
According to information received, Khan is not permitted outdoor activity or interaction with other detainees and is unable to join communal prayers. Visits from lawyers, family members and others authorised by the courts are frequently interrupted or ended prematurely.
Imran Khan is held in a small cell that lacks natural light and adequate ventilation. Temperatures reportedly become extreme in both winter and summer, and poor air circulation leads to foul odours and insect infestations. As a result, he has reportedly suffered nausea, vomiting, and noticeable weight loss.
“Anyone deprived of liberty must be treated with humanity and dignity,” the expert said. “Detention conditions must reflect the individual’s age and health situation, including appropriate sleeping arrangements, climatic protection, adequate space, lighting, heating, and ventilation.”
Imran Khan, aged 72, has a history of significant health issues, including a serious spinal injury from a 2013 accident and gunshot wounds from a 2022 assassination attempt.
“Khan has reportedly been denied adequate medical attention,” Edwards said. “I urge the authorities to allow a visit by his personal physicians.”
The Special Rapporteur has raised Imran Khan’s situation with the Government of Pakistan and will continue to follow developments.
Alice Jill Edwards is the
Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index
https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/
UN Human Rights, country page –
Pakistan
For inquiries and media requests, please contact:
[email protected]
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Maya Derouaz (
[email protected]) or Dharisha Indraguptha (
[email protected])
Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on X:
@UN_SPExperts.
Tags