By Christine Khamis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan–
Pakistani officials disclosed last Friday that eight out of 10 men accused of conspiring in the attack of activist Malala Yousafzai have been acquitted and released.
Ms. Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck in October 2012 while traveling to school in the northwestern Swat Valley region of Pakistan. Prior to the shooting, Ms. Yousafzai continued to attend school despite the ongoing threat of fundamentalists opposed to the education of girls. She also had been anonymously blogging for the BBC about the realities of living in the Swat region and about the importance of education for girls.
Ms. Yousafzai survived the shooting and went on to become internationally known as an advocate for the education of girls. She was also the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in December.
Ms. Yousafzai is now 17 years old and lives in Birmingham, England with her family. She and her family are unable to return to Pakistan because of continuing threats from the Taliban.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Ms. Yousafzai’s shooting. Pakistani officials believe that Pakistani Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah is one of the main suspects behind the attack, along with Mr. Fazlullah’s spokesman and two other men. The suspects are believed to be hiding out in Afghanistan.
The 10 men accused of conspiring in Ms. Yousafzai’s shooting were put on trial at a military-run internment center in Swat, Pakistan. In April, a Pakistani prosecutor told journalists that all 10 men had confessed to the attack on Ms. Yousafzai and police stated that the men were convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
On Friday, the court that tried the 10 men issued its written judgment. The judgment revealed that only two of the men had been convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Pakistan’s deputy police chief Azad Khan has stated that the eight men were released because there was not enough evidence to convict them. Mr. Khan also said that the secrecy surrounding the trial led to the mistaken reports claiming that all 10 men had been convicted. Public prosecutor Sayed Naeem, who stated in April that all 10 men had been convicted, said on Friday that reporters misquoted him at the time. Mr. Naeem also stated that he has already filed an appeal of the acquittal of the eight men.
The release of the eight men exemplifies the challenges that Pakistan’s judicial system faces. Courts in Pakistan often try Islamist militants in secret trials to maintain the safety of judges, police, and witnesses. There are poor evidentiary standards used in such trials as well as a well-documented practice of getting suspects to confess through the use of torture.
For more information, please see:
PBS – Men Who Planned Attack Against Malala Go Free in Pakistan – 6 June 2015
Associated Press – Pakistan Police Say 8 Men in Malala Attack Were Acquitted – 5 June 2015
CNN – Pakistan: 2 Convicted, 8 Acquitted in Connection to Malala Yousafzai Attack – 5 June 2015
New York Times – Pakistan Says Court Has Freed 8 of 10 Accused in Attack on Malala Yousafzai – 5 June 2015
Reuters – Pakistan Court Frees Eight Men Charged With Attack on Schoolgirl Malala – 5 June 2015
