Pakistan Human Rights Lawyers Imaan Mazari and Husband Sentenced to 10 Years on Terrorism Charges

An antiterrorism court in Pakistan has handed down a 10-year prison sentence to prominent human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, on charges related to terrorism. The verdict was announced by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra on Thursday, following a trial conducted within Adiala prison in Rawalpindi.

The couple was found guilty of endangering the security of the England and Wales Cricket team, with the judge stating it demonstrated their intention to create terror. However, the ruling also acknowledged that the security breach was a common incident involving the removal of a barrier.

The case stems from an October 2024 incident where the couple removed road barriers in Islamabad along a route designated for the touring England cricket team. They were indicted on October 7, facing charges of obstructing police and inciting public interest, to which they pleaded not guilty.

Statements from the couple, seen by Reuters, denied the charges and asserted they were being targeted for their human rights advocacy, referring to themselves as "prisoners of conscience." Their defense document argued they were being made an example to suppress dissent against tyranny, oppression, and injustice.

Shireen Mazari, Imaan Mazari's mother and former human rights minister, criticized the trial as a "sham trial without any due process." She told Reuters that the couple was denied legal representation and access to crucial documents, and that an appeal would be filed in the Supreme Court.

Amnesty International condemned the convictions as an "indictment of Pakistan’s justice system," stating it had failed to uphold justice and fair trial principles. Yasmine Ahmend from Amnesty International asserted that the anti-terrorism charges were used to punish Mazari and Chattha for their human rights work.

The couple has been in custody since January 23, facing separate charges related to social media posts, for which a lower court had sentenced them to 17 years each. Although the Supreme Court suspended these sentences, police re-arrested them the same day in connection with the security breach case.

Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, stated that the re-arrest demonstrated the politically motivated nature of the charges aimed at punishing the couple for their human rights work, highlighting the weaponization of the legal system against critical voices.

Pakistan's law minister, Azam Nazeer Tarar, has maintained that the country's judiciary operates independently.