Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra delivered the verdict following proceedings conducted inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison, even as the court conceded the underlying barrier removal was an ordinary type of incident. Mazari and Chattha maintained their innocence, declaring themselves prisoners of conscience targeted to deter criticism of state injustices. Rights groups and family members labeled the hearing a sham after the defendants were reportedly denied key legal documents and their chosen representation. The defense has officially announced plans to petition the Supreme Court to overturn the ten-year terms.
Key points
Advocacy organizations like Amnesty International assert that terrorism laws are being we…: Advocacy organizations like Amnesty International assert that terrorism laws are being weaponized against prominent human rights defenders.
Former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari condemned the legal proceedings as a sham tri…: Former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari condemned the legal proceedings as a sham trial that denied basic defense rights.
The legal team plans to challenge the latest antiterrorism court convictions by filing an…: The legal team plans to challenge the latest antiterrorism court convictions by filing an appeal with the Supreme Court.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Couple say they are ‘prisoners of conscience’ being made into an example by Pakistan’s military-backed authorities.
An antiterrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced prominent human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison on terrorism-related charges.
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict on Thursday, following their trial inside Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
The couple were found guilty of putting “the security of [the England and Wales Cricket] team at risk”, the judge wrote, adding that it “clearly shows the intentions and objective of the accused to create a sense of terror”, according to a copy of the court judgement obtained by the AFP news agency.
At the same time, the ruling conceded that the security breach was “a very common nature ordinary type of incident apparently of removal of a barrier”.
The case relates to an October 2024 incident in which the couple removed road barriers in the capital, Islamabad, along a route designated for the touring England cricket team.
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