End Government Harassment of Pakistani Champion of Women's Rights

Human Rights First
Defender Alert

In 2002, Mukhtar Mai was gang-raped on orders of a traditional village council as punishment for acts allegedly committed by her younger brother. Instead of suffering in silence, Ms. Mai fought back and testified in a rape case against her attackers and is now a leading Pakistani women's rights activist.

For her activism, she has faced constant harassment, including from government officials, who have strongly discouraged her from proceeding with her case. In the latest incident, on June 11, 2009, a power company raided her human rights organization, falsely accusing it of stealing electricity. The company proceeded to disconnect all of the electricity, also affecting hundreds of families in the surrounding area. According to witnesses to the raid, power company officials claimed that a member of the Pakistani government ordered the raid.

This raid is only the most recent incident of harassment against Ms. Mai and has significantly hindered her organization's ability to carry out its important human rights work. Demand that government officials immediately cease these harassing tactics...

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