Military courts have sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms of 2 to 10 years for attacking military sites on May 9, 2023.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) these civilians were involved in the May 9, 2023 riots
This follows the Supreme Court’s conditional approval for military courts to announce verdicts in cases. It involved 85 detained civilians from the riots.
According to the Supreme Court, individuals eligible for release due to remissions can be freed immediately. Those still serving sentences will be transferred to jail authorities.
The Supreme Court clarified that these judgements remain subject to appeals and will not prejudice the rights of the accused.
During the December 13 hearing, the Additional Attorney General assured compliance with the jail manual. The court rejected demands for prisoners to be moved to civilian courts.
Riots erupted nationwide on May 9, 2023, after the arrest of the ex-prime minister from Islamabad High Court by paramilitary forces.
The attacks targeted key military sites, including Jinnah House, GHQ Rawalpindi, and PAF Base Mianwali, leading to the convictions.
The military emphasized that the punishments were issued after thorough evidence review, legal rights observance, and due process by the Field General Court Martial.
