An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has imposed a 10-year prison sentence on human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha. The couple was convicted of removing road barriers and obstructing police officers in Islamabad during an incident on 25 October 2024, when England’s cricket team was touring the country. Both defendants have denied the charges against them. The court additionally imposed concurrent one-year and two-year sentences for separate charges related to obstructing and using force against public servants, along with fines of 200,000 Pakistani Rupees each.
This conviction represents the latest legal action against the couple, who have faced multiple criminal cases in recent months. Earlier proceedings resulted in a 17-year sentence for social media posts critical of the military, which Pakistan’s Supreme Court suspended in August. However, the couple were re-arrested before their release could be finalized. They have remained detained in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for several months, and during the current trial, hearings were held inside the prison facility with the defendants confined behind a cage-like structure.
Mazari and Chattha, both prominent human rights lawyers, have represented activists, journalists, and marginalized communities in cases involving alleged enforced disappearances. During trial proceedings, they characterized themselves as prisoners of conscience subjected to state persecution. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have criticized the proceedings, alleging the couple was denied a fair and open trial and asserting that convictions represent retaliation for their human rights advocacy and exercise of freedom of expression.
The cases against the couple have drawn widespread international attention and concern regarding the treatment of legal professionals and activists operating in Pakistan. Human rights observers have raised questions about the judicial processes employed and the broader implications for civil liberties in the country.
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