Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in the corruption case

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in a corruption case, the latest in a series of charges against him.

It is the longest prison sentence for a cricket star-turned-politician Arrested since August 2023has received

He has been accused in more than 100 cases, from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts, all of which he has accused of being politically motivated.

The latest case has been described by Pakistani authorities as the biggest the country has seen, although the country has had major financial scandals in the past, some of which have involved former leaders.

Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were accused of receiving a parcel of land as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust, which the couple founded while in office.

In exchange, investigators said, Khan used £190 million ($232 million) brought home by the UK’s National Crime Agency to pay the tycoon’s court fines.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party argued that the land was given in trust for a spiritual education center and was not used for Khan’s personal gains.

In a post about X, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said the former prime minister had “done no wrong” and that it was a “politically motivated unfair trial”.

“But (Imran Khan) will not give in, will not give in, will not break,” he wrote.

Friday’s ruling comes after several delays as Khan’s party held talks with the government.

After his sentencing on Friday, Khan told reporters at the courthouse that he “would not enter into a plea deal or seek relief.”

Khan’s 14-year prison sentence is the maximum that could be handed down in the case. He has also been fined over £4,000.

His wife has been jailed for seven years and fined more than £2,000. Bibi, who has been on bail since last October, was arrested in court after his sentence was announced.

In 2023, Khan was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to declare money earned from selling gifts he received while in office.

Last year, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison for selling state gifts, and another 10 years for leaking state secrets. Both sentences were suspended a month later.

Despite being in prison and barred from holding public office, Khan still It stands out on the political scene of Pakistan. In last year’s election, Imran Khan sponsored the candidates win the most seats among all parties.

Khan’s prosecution has sparked massive protests among his supporters, they have been met with the repression of the authorities. Thousands of protesters have been arrested and many injured in clashes with the police.