Islamabad court sentences Imaan Mazari, husband to 17 years each over ‘anti-state’ social media posts

ISLAMABAD (RNN TV) — An Islamabad district and sessions court on Saturday convicted human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, in a case related to alleged “anti-state” content shared on social media, sentencing both to 17 years’ imprisonment.

The verdict was announced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in August last year under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016. The prosecution claimed that posts and reposts made by the accused on X (formerly Twitter) were intended to malign state institutions and create divisions within society.

Mazari and Chattha appeared before the court via video link during the proceedings. Mazari alleged mistreatment in custody, including being denied food and water, and announced a boycott of the trial. No defence counsel was present at the time of the verdict, while special prosecutors Barrister Fahad and Rana Usman represented the state.

In its detailed written order, the court stated that the accused had described Pakistan as a “terrorist state,” termed detentions under anti-terror laws illegal, praised proscribed organisations and individuals, and accused the judiciary of bias. While acknowledging that criticism of the state is permissible in a democratic system, the court held that the accused had crossed the limits of lawful dissent and entered the domain of subversion.

The court convicted both under Section 9 of Peca, awarding five years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs5 million each; Section 10, awarding 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs30 million each; and Section 26-A, awarding five years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs1 million each. Additional imprisonment was imposed in case of default on payment of fines. The order did not clarify whether the sentences would run concurrently.

However, the court acquitted the couple of charges under Section 11 of Peca, observing that none of the prosecution witnesses testified that the content promoted sectarian, racial or interfaith hatred.

The court ordered that both convicts remain in jail to serve their sentences, while extending them the benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code, allowing their period of detention to be counted towards the sentence.

During the hearing, Mazari questioned the presence of media in court and reiterated allegations of mistreatment. She later stood up and left the video-link proceedings, followed by her husband.

The couple had been arrested a day earlier near the Serena Hotel underpass while on their way to the district courts. In a separate case, an anti-terrorism court later sent them to 14 days’ judicial remand.

Former federal minister for human rights Shireen Mazari, Imaan’s mother, alleged that the couple were covertly produced before an anti-terrorism court, denied access to legal counsel, and subjected to violence during and after their arrest. Journalists present at the scene also accused police of manhandling the couple and confiscating reporters’ mobile phones.

The arrests and convictions drew strong criticism from legal and political figures. Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Wajid Gilani and former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar condemned the use of anti-terrorism laws in connection with a peaceful protest, saying such actions undermined the original purpose of those laws.