Pakistani Court Sentences 7 Journalists and Social Media Commentators to Life in Absentia for ‘Digital Terrorism’
An Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Friday sentenced seven journalists and social media commentators to life imprisonment in absentia.
The court handed down two life sentences each to journalists Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada, Shaheen Sehbai, and Wajahat Saeed Khan, as well as YouTubers and commentators Adil Raja, Haider Raza Mehdi, and Syed Akbar Hussain, in cases related to what it termed “May 9 digital terrorism.”
“May 9” refers to the unrest that followed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023, during which incidents of violence, damage to public property, and attacks on state and military installations were reported in several parts of the country.
The events led to widespread arrests and a series of legal proceedings.
Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra also sentenced the accused to a cumulative 35 years in prison under other charges and imposed a total fine of Rs1.5 million.
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In the case registered at Aabpara Police Station in the federal capital, Shakir, Pirzada, and Hussain were convicted, while Sehbai, Mehdi, and Khan were sentenced and registered with a first information report at Ramna Police Station.
The prosecution accused the suspects of carrying out “digital terrorism” against state institutions in connection with the events of May 9.
The court had reserved its verdict after the completion of the trial, which was announced Friday. The prosecution presented 24 witnesses
At the prosecution’s request, the court completed the trial in the absence of the accused, which is permitted according to anti-terrorism laws, the court clarified.
In July 2023, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, head of the Pakistan Army’s public relations department, used the term “digital terrorists” to describe individuals allegedly spreading fake news and criticizing the army and its leadership.
He compared them to armed extremists and said “both target the army. They carry out attacks based on fake news to weaken the army, its leadership, and the relationship between the army and the public.”
The journalists and commentators sentenced on Friday are known as pro-Khan and include some of the most vocal critics of the country’s powerful military and civil establishment as well as the current coalition government.
In the aftermath of the May 2023 unrest, thousands of supporters Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party were taken into custody, and hundreds faced charges under anti-terrorism laws as part of a broad crackdown, with some cases later referred to military courts.
Sehbai is a senior Pakistani American journalist and former group editor of the English-language daily The News International. He is currently residing in the United States.
In addition, others left the country and relocated abroad following the end of Imran Khan’s government.
