JURIST - Paper Chase: Ousted Pakistan chief justice slams Musharraf for deposing judges

[JURIST] Ousted Pakistani Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry [JURIST news archive] labeled Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf an "extremist" on Wednesday, chiding Musharraf for deposing 60 judges, slandering judges, and keeping Chaudhry under house arrest [JURIST report]. The government of Pakistan has kept Chaudhry and several other judges and lawyers under preventative detention since Musharraf declared emergency rule [text; JURIST report] on November 3. According to a letter [DOC] released by lawyers on behalf of Chaudhry, as part of the house arrest, barbed-wire has been placed around Chaudhry's home, phone lines have been disconnected, and the family has been unable to go onto their front yard.

Last week, Pakistani lawyers demonstrated in Islamabad [JURIST report] to protest Chaudhry's continued detention. Also last week, a report [text] by Pakistan's The News suggested the government may be skirting constitutional limits on detentions [JURIST report]. The Pakistani constitution requires that preventative detention be limited to 90 days unless a review board has extended the detention. The detention period will expire as of January 31, but the government has not referred Chaudhry's case to a review board, instead saying that because Chaudhry and other deposed judges are not being held under court-ordered detention they therefore do not qualify for review. AP has more.

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