A sessions court in Islamabad sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir [1] and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, to a combined 17 years in prison over social media posts deemed to violate Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The court found them guilty under Sections 9, 10, and 26-A for posts on X that authorities said glorified a proscribed individual, promoted an “anti-state narrative,” and spread allegedly false information likely to create fear.
One cited post called for public support for Mahrang Baloch, a figure listed under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, and urged participation in a protest demanding justice for detained Baloch leaders. The court also ruled that describing Pakistan as a “terrorist state” and accusing state institutions of human rights abuses amounted to criminal conduct under PECA.
Additional charges related to claims that Baloch was wrongly imprisoned and allegations of forced disappearances.
The judge sentenced each to five years under Section 9, 10 years under Section 10, and two years under Section 26-A, along with heavy fines. A hate-speech charge was dismissed. The court said their posts crossed lawful dissent and undermined confidence in state institutions.
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Prior to the trial, Islamabad Police arrested Mazari-Hazir and Chattha last week in the federal capital. The suspect couple appeared before the court under heavy police security.
The investigating officer sought a seven-day physical remand of the suspects, which was rejected by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain, who instead ordered that both be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Both Mazari-Hazir and Chattha denied the accusations.
According to their lawyers, the couple was traveling in a van belonging to the Islamabad High Court Bar Association to appear before a special central judge in connection with the disputed social media post case. Police reportedly stopped the vehicle near the Serena Hotel and took both into custody.
The Islamabad High Court had earlier set aside arrest warrants issued against Mazari-Hazir and Chattha by a special central judge. Nevertheless, a heavy police presence remained outside the Islamabad High Court, and details of another case later surfaced.
To avoid arrest, the couple spent several nights on court premises but were detained on Friday morning shortly after leaving the complex.
Amnesty International, a UK based global Human Rights advocacy group, characterized the arrest of Mazari-Hazir and Chattha as the latest escalation in a sustained campaign of judicial harassment and intimidation by the Pakistani authorities.
In a statement, the human rights group wrote: “The charges have been brought against Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights and carrying out their professional duties. Authorities must immediately drop all charges against them and rescind the orders for their arrest.”
On news of the couple’s conviction, Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan denounced the proceedings as lacking fairness and transparency, arguing that the ruling breached core standards meant to safeguard an independent judiciary.
In a statement, the opposition alliance said the outcome pointed to “an atmosphere of fear and pressure within the judiciary, where political objectives were being prioritised over the dispensation of justice.”