Amnesty International Calls for Release of Detained Protesters, Fair Trials After Destructive May 9 Riots » Capital News

Amnesty International on Thursday called for the immediate release of all peaceful protesters detained in relation to the disturbances on May 9 of last year. The rights organization also urged the government to guarantee fair trials for everyone charged in connection with the events.

The riots erupted following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan over his involvement in the Al Qadir Trust case. The violence resulted in the deaths of at least 10 individuals and injuries to hundreds more. Significant damage was reported at about 40 public buildings and military facilities, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) and Askari Tower in Lahore, the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Office in Faisalabad, FC Fort in Chakdara, the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, the Toll Plaza at Swat Motorway, and the Mianwali Air Base.

Authorities recorded 62 incidents of violence, culminating in a national loss of Rs2.5 billion. The military bore the brunt of these losses, amounting to Rs1.98 billion. The military maintains that these attacks were orchestrated by the PTI leadership.

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