Imran Khan and Wife Sentenced to 17 Years for Corruption in Pakistan

New Conviction for Imran Khan

• ⚖️ Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been sentenced to 17 years in prison.
• 💰 The conviction stems from charges of breach of trust and corruption related to the alleged underpricing of state gifts.
• 🇸🇦 The specific case involves jewelry gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman in 2021, which prosecutors claim the couple failed to declare.

PTI Condemns Ruling and Trial Conditions

• ✊ Khan's party, the PTI, has condemned the ruling, calling it a demonstration of the judiciary losing legitimacy.
• 🚪 The decision was delivered in a closed-door jail trial, with neither Khan's lead counsel nor his family present.
• 🚫 Khan and his wife had pleaded not guilty when indicted in the case last year.

Previous Convictions and Concerns

• 🏏 This 17-year sentence is separate from an earlier case involving luxury watches, also gifted by the Saudi Crown Prince, which resulted in a 14-year term for Khan and seven for his wife.
• ⛓️ The former cricket champion has been serving multiple prison terms since 2003 on various corruption convictions, all of which he denies.
• 🗣️ Khan's supporters reject the charges as politically motivated.
• 😟 His sons have expressed fears for their father's well-being, citing worsening conditions and concerns they might never see him again.
• ⚠️ A UN special reporter on torture has condemned the inhumane and undignified conditions in which Imran Khan is being held, warning they could amount to torture.