Help Us Take Action - Mukhtar Mai’s Case to Be Heard in Pakistan Supreme Court
Vital Voices wants to ensure that Mukhtar Mai’s case gets a fair trial.
After more then 3 ½ years of waiting, Mukhtar Mai’s case against the group of men from the neighboring Mastoi tribe is scheduled to be heard in the Pakistan Supreme Court in mid-February. Mukhtar Mai, honored by Vital Voices in 2006 and featured in our documentary play SEVEN, sounded an international alarm about “honor crimes” against women in rural Pakistan, when she refused to accept victimhood after being gang-raped by men from the Mastoi tribe.
The legal battle has been waging in the courts for several years, and all the while Mukhtar’s personal safety has been at risk. Rather then end her life, this brave woman continued to fight for justice and opened the Mukhtar Mai Women’s Welfare Organization with funds awarded by the trail courts and raised in the international community. The Goals of MMWWO are to help the local community, especially women, through education and protection from violence. She has built schools for girls and boys, because her belief is that education will end oppression.
Despite support from the international community, reports from MMWWO are that Mukhtar continues to be intimidated by officials and Mastoi tribal members. It is expected that the Supreme Court trial will be on February 10 or 11th. After years of waiting for justice, Vital Voices wants to ensure that Mukhtar Mai’s case gets a fair trial.
To support Mutkhar Mai, please email or fax a message to the Pakistani Ambassador to the United Stated to urge for a fair trial:
Email His Excellency Ambassador Husain Haqqani at:
ambassador@embassyofpakistanusa.org
Or fax him at:
202-686-1534
More about Mukhtar Mai at vitalvoices.org
Read Gloria Steinem’s profile of Mukhtar Mai in TIME
Read article featuring Mukhtar Mai in The Gaurdian
Mukhtaran accuses minister of pressing her to drop case Qayyum Jatoi denies charges
- The News International - Karachi,Pakistan
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
By vital voices staff on February 6th 2009 in General
Alyson responded on 11 Feb 2009 at 2:29 pm #
Today Vital Voices learned that Mukhtar Mai’s case has been “indefinitely adjourned” with no further appeal, so her rapists will stay in jail. Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan (Mukhtar’s Council) had moved an application for adjournment, the best possible move in the current circumstances. The fact that this application for adjournment was accepted is credit to all of those in the Pakistani and international community who expressed concern.