A United Nations expert, along with several leading international human rights organisations as well as activists, has strongly condemned the 10-year prison sentences handed down to Pakistani human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in connection with a security breach case.
Urging for their fair trial rights, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, expressed grave concern over the sentencing of human rights lawyers, stating that the jail trial, including restrictions on the couple’s ability to communicate effectively with their counsel, raises serious questions about due process and fair trial guarantees.
“Lawyers must be able to defend human rights and represent marginalised communities without fear of intimidation, reprisal or imprisonment for their work. The use of anti-terrorism legislation must not undermine fundamental rights or be used to criminalize legitimate human rights advocacy. I urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure full respect for their fair trial rights and access to effective judicial review, in accordance with international human rights law. The independence of the legal profession is essential to the protection of human rights and the rule of law,” she posted on X.
The remarks came after a Pakistani anti terrorism court on Thursday sentenced Imaan and Hadi to 10 years in prison each and fined Rs 1 lakh each under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.
The case was registered at Islamabad’s Aabpara Police Station over allegations that the couple threatened national security by interfering in state affairs during an international cricket team’s visit to Pakistan in October 2024, Pakistani media reported.
Condemning the verdict, Amnesty International said that the weaponisation of anti-terrorism laws to target dissent had become a norm in Pakistan, urging the authorities to immediately release Imaan and Hadi and drop all charges against them.
“These convictions are an indictment of Pakistan’s justice system. This was not just Imaan and Hadi on trial; it was a test of the judiciary’s ability to uphold the principles of justice and the right to a fair trial. It has failed that test miserably. It is clear that these ‘anti-terrorism’ charges are being used to punish Imaan and Hadi for their human rights advocacy,” said Yasmine Ahmed, Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact at Amnesty International.
“Imaan and Hadi have been consistently denied the right to an open and fair trial, which they were initially barred from attending in person. The trial was later shifted inside the prison premises where they were kept behind a cage-like structure during the hearings,” she added.
Raising alarm over the conviction and sentencing, Ireland-based rights group Front Line Defenders said that Imaan and Hadi are being targeted solely for their legitimate human rights work.
“The use of terrorism charges to prosecute the alleged removal of a traffic barrier, at the end of an accelerated jail trial, is a gross misuse of counter-terrorism law,” it stated
Front Line Defenders described the conviction as part of a sustained pattern of successive criminal proceedings aimed at keeping the two lawyers in detention, disregarding the Pakistan Supreme Court’s order for their release.
“It contributes to a chilling effect on the work of lawyers and human rights defenders in Pakistan who represent victims of abuses committed by the State,” the rights body stated.
Tara Chand, President of the Baloch American Congress, said that the “shocking verdict” raises serious questions about Pakistan’s judicial system and its treatment of human rights defenders.
“Defending the oppressed is not terrorism! Speaking for the Baloch people is not a crime! When those who fight for justice face imprisonment, who will protect the innocent? You can imprison human rights defenders, but you cannot imprison the truth! We urge the international community to demand justice, due process, and protection for human rights defenders,” he posted on X.
Criticising the sentencing of Imaan and Hadi, another rights body, Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) said, “Sentencing lawyers who raise their voices for human rights, represent victims of enforced disappearances, and express solidarity with Baloch and Pashtun activists under terrorism charges raises serious questions about the freedom, impartiality, and provision of justice in Pakistan’s judicial system.”
