The trumped-up charges against Professor Ismail under Pakistan’s draconian Anti-Terrorism Act and Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act put him at risk of a lengthy prison sentence. If the charges against him are not dropped, he continues to face arrest and prosecution
While Professor Muhammad Ismail was granted conditional bail on 25 November, he remains at risk of a lengthy prison sentence and re-arrest as the trumped-up charges against him have not been dropped. His family continues to face harassment and intrusive surveillance, while Professor Ismail and his wife remain on the country’s no-fly list. Charged with “hate speech” and “cyber terrorism”, he is being punished for his political expression and for defending his daughter, Gulalai Ismail, a well-known woman human rights defender in Pakistan. Amnesty International calls for all charges against Professor Ismail to be dropped unconditionally, without delay.
Take action: Write an appeal in your own words or use this model letter
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Foreign Office Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
Pakistan Tel: +92 51-9210335
Fax: +92 51-9207600
Email: Spokesperson.office@mofa.gov.pk
Your Excellency Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
While we welcome the release of Professor Muhammad Ismail, we are concerned that he remains at risk of arrest and he and his family continue to be the subject of an intense surveillance and harassment campaign, designed to intimidate them into silence and create a sense of fear among Pakistan’s already threatened human rights defenders.
The trumped-up charges against Professor Ismail under Pakistan’s draconian Anti-Terrorism Act and Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act put him at risk of a lengthy prison sentence. If the charges against him are not dropped, he continues to face arrest and prosecution.
He must not be punished for exercising his right to freedom of expression, including in defence of his daughter, Gulalai Ismail – who was forced to flee her home country.
We call upon your government to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against Professor Ismail, and to put a stop to the invasive surveillance of him and his family.
Yours Sincerely
Additional information
Professor Muhammad Ismail was released on conditional bail on 25 November 2019 by the Peshawar High Court, after having spent one month in pre-trial detention. He has paid two surety bonds of Rs 100,000 each and has also provided financial guarantees from two people, however the trumped-up charges have still not been dropped. Professor Ismail remains at risk of arrest and prosecution because all the charges against him have not been dropped.
A vocal critic of the country’s armed forces and their treatment of his daughter, prominent woman human rights defender Gulalai Ismail, the Ismail family has endured invasive surveillance, threats and intimidation since May 2019
– with their home raided multiple times. Professor Ismail and his wife remain on the country’s no-fly list.
The rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association have come under attack in Pakistan in recent years. Human rights defenders and journalists face restrictions in both online and offline spaces. The clampdown on civic space has intensified in 2019, through draconian laws that enable violations of human rights.
Preferred language to address target: [English]
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Please take action as soon as possible until: 13 January 2020
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.
Name and preffered pronoun: [Professor Muhammad Ismail – He/Him]
