LONDON: Lawyers for former president Pervez Musharraf have urged the United Nations to intervene to stop what they called a “politically motivated show trial” in the treason case against him.

The lawyers also called on the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia to denounce the trial in order to “repay their debt” for the former president’s support in the US-led “war on terror” after the 9/11 attacks.

The team has written to UN human rights chief Navi Pillay and UN special rapporteurs calling for the international body to “urgently intervene and ensure that the former president is not subjected to politically motivated charges”.

Gen Musharraf is due to appear before a special court on Dec 24 to face trial for treason.

His barrister Steven Kay told a press conference in London the hearing would be a “stage-managed show trial” with the judges picked by political opponents who are now in power.

“What we have here is a case that has started with the hand-picking of judges by the politicians – or a politician, the prime minister – in defiance of any person’s right to a trial that is fair,” Kay told reporters.

The trial is an “egregious example of political interference”, he added.

The treason accusation relates to his decision to impose emergency on Nov 3, 2007, shortly before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his re-election as president a month earlier, while he was still army chief.

Kay said the judges selected for the trial would be unable to act impartially –particularly since one of them, Faisal Arab, was sacked by Pervez Musharraf’s government.

“If you’ve been affected by what took place and then you judge it, there is a conflict of interest because you have an interest in getting retribution,” Kay told reporters.

Barrister Toby Cadman called on Musharraf’s allies in the “war on terror” to support him, insisting this did not amount to interference in Pakistan’s affairs.

“What is important is to ensure that voices of concern are expressed in terms of the charges which the former president faces, and recognition of his contribution to the ‘war on terror’,” Cadman said.—AFP