Scotland Says: Free Imran Khan — Stand for Justice, Democracy and Human Rights in Pakistan
The Issue
Scotland has a proud tradition of standing for justice, human rights and the rule of law. We believe those principles must apply to everyone, regardless of political position, nationality or power.
Imran Khan is not simply a former Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is a man whose life has crossed borders and connected millions of people through sport, education, public service and philanthropy.
He led Pakistan to its only Cricket World Cup victory in 1992, studied at Oxford University and served as Chancellor of the University of Bradford. He founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, providing free cancer treatment to hundreds of thousands of people who could not otherwise afford it. He went on to become Pakistan's democratically elected Prime Minister in 2018.
Today, he remains imprisoned in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The concerns surrounding his incarceration and the process that has been adopted to put him there are deeply serious. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that his detention was arbitrary and called for his immediate release. UN experts have raised concerns about his prolonged solitary confinement, restricted contact with family, lawyers as well as with the outside world and the conditions of his detention. Concerns have also been raised about his medical care and deteriorating eyesight.
This is where the Nelson Mandela Rules matter.
The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners require every prisoner to be treated with dignity and protected from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. They state that solitary confinement should be used only in exceptional circumstances, as a last resort and for the shortest possible period. Prolonged solitary confinement is expressly prohibited.
These principles carry a particular moral weight in Khan's case. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years imprisoned for standing against injustice. The rules bearing his name were created to ensure that imprisonment never becomes a licence to strip a human being of dignity.
Imran Khan has spent much of his public life using his position to help others, from his work in cancer care to his advocacy for people living in poverty. Whatever one's political view of him, no human being should be denied basic dignity, proper medical care or a fair legal process.
We are not asking Imran Khan to be placed above the law.
We are asking that he be protected by the law.
Pakistanis have the right to choose their leaders. Political disagreements should be resolved through democratic institutions and courts, not through imprisonment, intimidation or the denial of due process.
The 2024 election also raised serious concerns about the fairness of Pakistan's democratic process. Candidates backed by Khan won the largest number of National Assembly seats despite significant restrictions, yet were not allowed to form government by the military establishment.
This petition is therefore not simply about one politician. It is about whether democratic rights, judicial independence, humane imprisonment and due process mean anything when they become inconvenient to those in power.
We call on the UK Government, Scottish Government and elected representatives to:
• Speak publicly for Imran Khan's right to a fair trial and humane treatment.
• Call for independent and appropriate medical assessment and treatment, including access to doctors where necessary.
• Urge full respect for the UN Nelson Mandela Rules concerning his detention and solitary confinement.
• Support meaningful judicial review of his convictions and continued detention according to rights enshrined within the Pakistan's constitution.
• Press Pakistan to respect fundamental rights, due process and democratic freedoms.
• Raise these concerns through appropriate diplomatic channels, including bilateral engagement and the Commonwealth.
• Stand against intimidation or transnational repression directed at Pakistanis in Britain or their families.
This is not about supporting or opposing Imran Khan's politics. It is about a principle far bigger than any politician. Justice must not depend on who you are, what political party you support, or whether those in power agree with you. Human rights are universal. Due process is not optional.
Add your name and stand for the rule of law, human dignity and democracy in Pakistan and everywhere.
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The Issue
Scotland has a proud tradition of standing for justice, human rights and the rule of law. We believe those principles must apply to everyone, regardless of political position, nationality or power.
Imran Khan is not simply a former Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is a man whose life has crossed borders and connected millions of people through sport, education, public service and philanthropy.
He led Pakistan to its only Cricket World Cup victory in 1992, studied at Oxford University and served as Chancellor of the University of Bradford. He founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, providing free cancer treatment to hundreds of thousands of people who could not otherwise afford it. He went on to become Pakistan's democratically elected Prime Minister in 2018.
Today, he remains imprisoned in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The concerns surrounding his incarceration and the process that has been adopted to put him there are deeply serious. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that his detention was arbitrary and called for his immediate release. UN experts have raised concerns about his prolonged solitary confinement, restricted contact with family, lawyers as well as with the outside world and the conditions of his detention. Concerns have also been raised about his medical care and deteriorating eyesight.
This is where the Nelson Mandela Rules matter.
The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners require every prisoner to be treated with dignity and protected from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. They state that solitary confinement should be used only in exceptional circumstances, as a last resort and for the shortest possible period. Prolonged solitary confinement is expressly prohibited.
These principles carry a particular moral weight in Khan's case. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years imprisoned for standing against injustice. The rules bearing his name were created to ensure that imprisonment never becomes a licence to strip a human being of dignity.
Imran Khan has spent much of his public life using his position to help others, from his work in cancer care to his advocacy for people living in poverty. Whatever one's political view of him, no human being should be denied basic dignity, proper medical care or a fair legal process.
We are not asking Imran Khan to be placed above the law.
We are asking that he be protected by the law.
Pakistanis have the right to choose their leaders. Political disagreements should be resolved through democratic institutions and courts, not through imprisonment, intimidation or the denial of due process.
The 2024 election also raised serious concerns about the fairness of Pakistan's democratic process. Candidates backed by Khan won the largest number of National Assembly seats despite significant restrictions, yet were not allowed to form government by the military establishment.
This petition is therefore not simply about one politician. It is about whether democratic rights, judicial independence, humane imprisonment and due process mean anything when they become inconvenient to those in power.
We call on the UK Government, Scottish Government and elected representatives to:
• Speak publicly for Imran Khan's right to a fair trial and humane treatment.
• Call for independent and appropriate medical assessment and treatment, including access to doctors where necessary.
• Urge full respect for the UN Nelson Mandela Rules concerning his detention and solitary confinement.
• Support meaningful judicial review of his convictions and continued detention according to rights enshrined within the Pakistan's constitution.
• Press Pakistan to respect fundamental rights, due process and democratic freedoms.
• Raise these concerns through appropriate diplomatic channels, including bilateral engagement and the Commonwealth.
• Stand against intimidation or transnational repression directed at Pakistanis in Britain or their families.
This is not about supporting or opposing Imran Khan's politics. It is about a principle far bigger than any politician. Justice must not depend on who you are, what political party you support, or whether those in power agree with you. Human rights are universal. Due process is not optional.
Add your name and stand for the rule of law, human dignity and democracy in Pakistan and everywhere.
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Petition created on 5 September 2026