ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each in a security breach case, the latest in a series of legal battles the couple says are aimed at punishing their human rights work.
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict at Adiala Jail, where the trial was conducted. The court had reserved its judgment on Oct. 27 after final arguments concluded. The sentence was handed down under three separate legal provisions, and fines were also imposed on both defendants.
The couple was tried in jail in a 2024 case alleging disruption of an international cricket team's security route and incitement to public unrest. They were accused of removing barriers from the route and were indicted on Oct. 7.
A formal trial began after both lawyers pleaded not guilty. Both had been on bail in the case before the verdict.
The court appointed a state counsel for the defense. State counsel Atif Mehmood cross-examined the witnesses, while the prosecution presented seven witnesses in total.
On Oct. 27, both defendants recorded statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and final arguments by the state counsel concluded during the same proceedings. The court then reserved its verdict and said it would be pronounced Oct. 29.
On Monday, the couple approached the Supreme Court to challenge an Oct. 19 Islamabad High Court order refusing to stay the trial.
The high court had heard their appeals last week against an Oct. 10 anti-terrorism court order dismissing petitions challenging the framing of charges and the inclusion of terrorism-related provisions.
The high court issued notices and said it would decide how to proceed after receiving responses from the parties.
In their statements, Imaan and Hadi denied the charges and alleged they were being targeted for their human rights work and for providing pro bono legal assistance to marginalized and oppressed communities.
Imaan said the entire jail trial had been challenged before both the high court and the Supreme Court, and that the trial was conducted with the couple presented in a cage, preventing effective communication with their counsel or the court.
The couple has been in jail since their arrest on Jan. 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the Islamabad High Court and allegedly manhandling the high court bar association president.
The arrest drew criticism from rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple's right to a fair trial.
A day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act in a social media posts case. The convictions were widely condemned by lawyers and United Nations experts.
On Sept. 17, after months of litigation, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences and ordered their release pending the high court's final verdict on their appeals.
The reprieve was short-lived: hours later, Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with the security breach case, which was registered at the federal capital's Kohsar police station on March 22 last year on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.
