Today, an anti-terror ct in Lahore acquitted all those who were accused of lynching 2 men in Youhanabad. Toward the end, some def lawyers moved the case in the direction of an out of court settlement which should not have happened. Unfortunately, it did despite the fact
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that it was obv since beginning that it was a case of acquittal. Yet, 43 men belonging to poor Christian community of Youhanabad & vicinity were incarcerated for almost 5 long yrs because the govt & prosecution found it appropriate to punish them thru trial
#Youhanabad
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#Youhanabad
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2 out of 43 accused died in prison as a result of torture & ill treatment. But no accountability has taken place.
The social costs which such cases entail are never assessed. The families were stigmatised and separated from their loved ones for a long period of time.
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The social costs which such cases entail are never assessed. The families were stigmatised and separated from their loved ones for a long period of time.
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It's a long story of state repression, lack of transparency in the manner the prosecution service works, and the way justice system esp.anti-terror courts function.
And yet no one will press for accountability of the state institutions.
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And yet no one will press for accountability of the state institutions.
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