Pakistani court hands rights lawyers 10-year prison terms

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court issued a decade-long prison sentence to human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha on Thursday. The ruling was handed down in a case involving a security breach from 2024.

The judge announced the verdict at Adiala Jail in Lahore, where the couple has been detained since early this year. The court imposed the ten-year term for the primary charge and added one year for obstructing government servants and two years for assaulting them. All three sentences will run concurrently.

The case stems from a 2024 protest where the couple blocked a road, allegedly endangering the security plans of an international cricket team. In written statements, Mazari and Chattha denied the accusations. They described themselves as prisoners of conscience who are being targeted for their work in human rights.

Mazari has gained international attention for her advocacy regarding the disappearances of political activists and her defense of minorities and journalists. Human rights groups have criticized her imprisonment and called for her release.

Shireen Mazari, the couple's mother, noted that they were not allowed to defend themselves with their own chosen lawyer. She also stated that key legal documents were withheld from them. Shireen Mazari served as the human rights minister in the cabinet of former prime minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail.

The couple has been in custody since their arrest on January 23. That initial detention was based on a separate case involving social media posts that prosecutors labeled as anti-state. A sessions court sentenced them to 17 years each under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act the day after their arrest. The Supreme Court suspended those sentences on September 17, but police re-arrested them the same day in the current security breach case.

Azam Nazeer Tarar, Pakistan's law minister, has previously stated that the country's judiciary operates independently. The public prosecutor did not respond to requests for comment on the new verdict. Shireen Mazari said the family will file a petition with the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling.