Political Prisoner Spotlight: The Struggle for Idris Khattak’s Freedom in Pakistan

On International Human Rights Defenders Day, Freedom House, Amnesty International, and the McCain Institute hosted a virtual event recognizing the six-year anniversary of political prisoner Idris Khattak's unjust detention in Pakistan. Idris is a well-known human rights defender who spent decades documenting human rights violations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Known widely as Pakistan's foremost expert on enforced disappearances, he was himself disappeared and later sentenced to 14 years in prison as punishment for his human rights work. Speakers discussed the status of the case and the use of political imprisonment by Pakistan and other countries to silence human rights defenders around the world. 

Watch the recording of the event here.

Speakers include:

• Andrew Fandino, Advocacy Director, Individuals at Risk, Amnesty International USA

• Harris Khalique, Secretary-General, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

• Talia Khattak, daughter of Idris Khattak

• Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, United Nations

• Pedro Pizano, Director, John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative and the Global Democracy Program, McCain Institute

• Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-8)

• Brian Tronic, Director, Free Them All: The Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners, Freedom House

• Saman Zia-Zarifi, Executive Director, Physicians for Human Rights