Pakistani Human Rights Lawyers Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Islamabad, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : A terrorism court in Islamabad has sentenced human rights lawyers Iman Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to ten years in prison each for their involvement in a security breach case. The verdict was delivered on Thursday.

Local media reports indicate that the case stems from alleged security negligence during an international cricket team’s visit to Pakistan in October 2024. The couple was charged with endangering national security by interfering in state matters, according to the police report filed at the Abpara police station.

The court’s ruling included two years of imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 Pakistani rupees under Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code, along with one year of imprisonment and an additional 50,000 rupees under Section 186. Furthermore, both received ten-year sentences under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, along with a fine of 100,000 rupees each. All sentences will run concurrently, resulting in a total of ten years of imprisonment.

The couple’s attorney sought to delay the ruling, arguing that related petitions are still pending in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Islamabad High Court. Lawyer Amal Mandokhel contended that the lower court should not have issued a decision while appeals were still under consideration, claiming it was legally inappropriate to proceed.

Iman and Hadi described the charges against them as “harassment,” asserting that they are being targeted due to their work in human rights and legal services. In their statements to the court, they claimed that the evidence presented was not against them but rather indicated misconduct by government officials and state mechanisms.

They alleged that government agencies have harassed them due to their legal work for marginalized communities, street vendors, individuals facing false blasphemy charges, and those who have been forcibly disappeared. The couple stated, “We are prisoners persecuted by the state.”

Their case has garnered international attention, with numerous human rights organizations expressing concern over their arrest and detention. Last month, 15 international groups, including the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture, issued a joint statement raising serious concerns about the couple’s ongoing detention.