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, adding to the couple’s ongoing legal battles.
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict at Adiala Jail, where the court conducted the trial. The court had reserved its judgment on October 27 after hearing final arguments. It also imposed fines on both defendants under three separate legal provisions.
The couple has denied the allegations and maintained that the cases against them seek to punish their human rights advocacy and legal assistance to marginalised communities.
Case Involves Alleged Disruption of Security Route
The couple faced trial in a 2024 case involving allegations that they disrupted the security route of an international cricket team and incited public unrest. Prosecutors accused them of removing barriers along the route.
The court indicted them on October 7, after which the formal trial began when both defendants pleaded not guilty. They had been on bail in this case before the verdict.
The court appointed state counsel Atif Mehmood to represent the defendants. He cross-examined prosecution witnesses, while the prosecution presented seven witnesses.
On October 27, both defendants recorded their statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The state counsel completed final arguments, and the judge reserved the verdict for October 29.
Couple Challenges Trial Proceedings
On Monday, Mazari and Chattha approached the Supreme Court to challenge an October 19 Islamabad High Court order that had refused to stay the trial.
The high court had heard their appeals against an October 10 anti-terrorism court decision dismissing petitions that challenged the framing of charges and the inclusion of terrorism-related provisions.
The high court issued notices to the parties and said it would determine the next course of action after receiving their responses.
In their statements, the couple denied the charges and alleged that authorities were targeting them because of their human rights work and their pro bono legal services for oppressed and marginalised communities.
Mazari also challenged the conduct of the jail trial before the high court and the Supreme Court. She alleged that officials kept the couple in a cage during proceedings, restricting their ability to communicate effectively with their lawyers and the court.
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Earlier Convictions and Supreme Court Relief
The couple has remained in custody since their arrest on January 23 in a separate case arising from a protest outside the Islamabad High Court. Authorities accused them of manhandling the high court bar association president.
Their arrest drew criticism from human rights organisations, politicians and journalists, who raised concerns about their right to a fair trial.
A day after the arrest, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years in prison on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act in a separate case concerning social media posts. Lawyers and United Nations experts widely condemned those convictions.
On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended those sentences and ordered the couple’s release pending the Islamabad High Court’s final decision on their appeals.
However, the relief lasted only a few hours. Islamabad police arrested them again in connection with the security breach case, registered at the capital’s Kohsar police station on March 22, 2025, on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.
The latest verdict adds another chapter to the couple’s legal proceedings, as their challenges to earlier convictions and aspects of the trial process continue.
