A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced prominent human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each over allegations related to disrupting security arrangements for an international cricket team's visit in 2024. The verdict was announced yesterday at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where the couple have been detained since early this year.
The couple faced charges including obstructing public officials and violating provisions of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act. In addition to the 10-year sentences, the court imposed fines of Rs100,000 each and handed down additional concurrent terms of one and two years on separate charges involving obstructing and assaulting government servants. According to court statements, the prosecution accused Mazari and Chattha of removing barriers from a designated security route and inciting public unrest during the cricket team's October 2024 visit to Islamabad.
Mazari and Chattha denied all charges, describing themselves as prisoners of conscience who are being targeted for their human rights work. They have asserted that the legal actions against them are politically motivated and intended to punish them for defending vulnerable communities, including minorities and journalists. Both reportedly did not have access to their chosen legal defense and were not provided key legal documents, according to statements from Mazari’s mother, Shireen Mazari, a former human rights minister.
The couple was initially arrested on January 23 in connection with social media posts deemed anti-state. They were sentenced to 17 years on those charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, but the Supreme Court suspended that ruling in September. The same day their sentences were suspended, authorities re-arrested them in relation to the security breach case.
During the trial, the prosecution presented seven witnesses, and a state-appointed lawyer cross-examined the defense. Attempts by their lawyer to postpone the verdict, citing pending petitions before the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court challenging the proceedings, were rejected by the trial judge, Tanir Abbas Sipra.
Mazari and Chattha have garnered support from domestic and international rights groups, which have criticized their imprisonment and raised concerns about the implications for human rights defenders in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s law minister, Azam Nazeer Tarar, has maintained that the judiciary operates independently.
Following the sentencing, Mazari's family stated plans to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court. The public prosecutor’s office has not issued comments regarding the latest development.