Activists Stage Photo Opp in front of Pakistani Embassy Today, Demand Drone Victim Kareem Khan be Freed


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-founder, (415) 235-6517, medea@codepink.org

    Alli McCracken, CODEPINK Organizer, (860) 575-5692, alli@codepink.org


Activists Stage Photo Opp in front of Pakistani Embassy Today

Demand Drone Victim Kareem Khan be Freed


When: February 12, 2014, 4:00pm

Where: Pakistani Embassy, 3517 International Ct NW, Washington, DC 20008


Washington, DC –– Activists from CODEPINK and other human rights organizations will stage a protest outside the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, DC to demand the release of political prisoner and drone strike victim Kareem Khan. Several of the activists met with Mr. Kahn during their trip to Pakistan in 2012.


Demonstrators outside the embassy will have banners and a large mock drone.


In 2009 Kareem Khan was devastated by the loss of his son and brother in a US drone strike. He has since sued the Pakistani government for its failure to investigate the deadly strike. On February 5th, just days before he was scheduled to travel to Europe to give evidence to parliamentarians, he was kidnapped from his home by 15-20 men in Pakistani police uniforms and plain clothes. The men did not disclose their identities or the reason he was taken away. The latest update from Khan’s lawyers is that the PK court has asked Pakistani intelligence agencies to produce Kareem before the court by Feb 20th.


Working with Khan’s lawyers at the Foundation for Fundamental Rights and Reprieve UK, activists are calling on the Pakistani government to release Khan immediately. Members of CODEPINK have met with Pakistani officials in the Washington, DC embassy and handed in over 6,500 petition signatures demanding Khan’s release. They have also been working with Congressional representatives from the Foreign Affairs Committees and met with State Dept Deputy Director Anne Patterson asking for her assistance.  


Tomorrow a coalition of groups advocating for Khan’s release will launch a Twitterstorm, pushing the hashtag #FreeKareem and targeting the Pakistani Ambassador to the US and Secretary of State John Kerry. Madiha Tahir, whose film Wounds of Waziristan featured Kareem, has posted the suggested tweets, hashtag and contact information for the US Embassy and Consulate on the Wounds of Waziristan site.


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