Jailed abroad: Punjab’s prisons hold 284 foreigners
Some jailed without trial, most have not yet been convicted of any crime.
LAHORE:
There are 284 foreign citizens, from 35 countries, in Punjab’s prisons, including five American citizens convicted on charges of terrorism, according to the provincial government’s official data.
Of the foreigners in jail, 103 are still under trial while 101 have been convicted. Five have been awarded the death penalty on charges of espionage, terrorism or other crimes that carry the capital punishment. Another 75 are interned without any trial.
The incarcerated foreigners include the five Americans who have been confined at the Sargodha jail since December 2009, when they were arrested.
The five, all young Muslim men from the Washington DC area of the United States, were tried and convicted on charges of waging war against the state and funding a terrorist group. In June 2010, they were sentenced to 15 years in jail and fined Rs70,000 each. They were acquitted on three other charges.
In terms of nationality, Indian citizens lead the pack with 65 incarcerated, the majority of them interned without trial. Indian citizens are also the majority of those interned without legal proceedings, with 34 of the 75 people interned being Indians.
Afghanistan has the next largest contingent in Punjab’s prisons, with 51 and Nigeria and Tanzania come in third and fourth with 37 and 28 citizens respectively.
In terms of location, the Lahore jail holds nearly half of all foreigners, with 137. Rawalpindi is next, with 92 prisoners.
The two jails combined hold over 80 per cent of all foreign citizens incarcerated in the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2011.
There are 284 foreign citizens, from 35 countries, in Punjab’s prisons, including five American citizens convicted on charges of terrorism, according to the provincial government’s official data.
Of the foreigners in jail, 103 are still under trial while 101 have been convicted. Five have been awarded the death penalty on charges of espionage, terrorism or other crimes that carry the capital punishment. Another 75 are interned without any trial.
The incarcerated foreigners include the five Americans who have been confined at the Sargodha jail since December 2009, when they were arrested.
The five, all young Muslim men from the Washington DC area of the United States, were tried and convicted on charges of waging war against the state and funding a terrorist group. In June 2010, they were sentenced to 15 years in jail and fined Rs70,000 each. They were acquitted on three other charges.
In terms of nationality, Indian citizens lead the pack with 65 incarcerated, the majority of them interned without trial. Indian citizens are also the majority of those interned without legal proceedings, with 34 of the 75 people interned being Indians.
Afghanistan has the next largest contingent in Punjab’s prisons, with 51 and Nigeria and Tanzania come in third and fourth with 37 and 28 citizens respectively.
In terms of location, the Lahore jail holds nearly half of all foreigners, with 137. Rawalpindi is next, with 92 prisoners.
The two jails combined hold over 80 per cent of all foreign citizens incarcerated in the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2011.