Human Rights First will condemn the Pakistani government’s continued attempts to silence Mukhtar Mai at a press conference to be held at 10:30 AM on June 22, 2005, at 65th Street and 5th Avenue in New York.
Although Pakistani officials have stated publicly that Mukhtar Mai is no longer on the government’s “exit control list,” and is therefore not officially banned from leaving Pakistan, they continue to effectively prevent her from traveling. Mukhtar Mai told human rights groups that she faced significant pressure from her government to cancel her trip to the U.S. and to sign a letter withdrawing her application for a visa. Pakistani officials also confiscated her passport, claiming it would allow her to travel only with a government escort.
“The Pakistani government fears Mukhtar Mai tarnishes its image when she speaks out about the gang-rape she endured as punishment for her brother’s alleged acts; but when a government represses its own agents of progress – human rights defenders – it demonstrates to the world its authoritarian disregard for equality and justice,” said Archana Pyati, Senior Associate at Human Rights First.
Mukhtar Mai should be allowed to travel freely and independently and speak openly about her experiences. She, like other Pakistani women's rights activists, has protected rights of assembly, association, and expression under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Human Rights First is saddened to learn that rather than protecting the rights of human rights activists, Pakistani officials restrict their ability to express their views.
Background
In 2002, Mukhtar Mai was gang-raped on orders of a traditional village council as punishment for acts allegedly committed by her younger brother. She courageously testified in court against the men responsible for her rape and, using compensation money, built schools for girls and boys and started a shelter for abused women. She has emerged as a powerful symbol of the brutality and blatant inequality of the justice administered by tribal councils in rural Pakistan.
Human Rights First issued an action alert through its Defender Alert Network; http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/Mukhtar_Mai?source=ga_adv:
