An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison. The couple was convicted over charges of removing road barriers and obstructing police officers in Islamabad during England's cricket tour in 2024. Both Mazari and Chattha have denied the accusations.
Prosecutors alleged that the incident occurred on October 25, 2024, when the couple removed barriers from a road designated for the security convoy of the visiting English cricket team and obstructed police at Zero Point, a major junction in the capital. They were each sentenced to 10 years under the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with additional one-year and two-year terms for obstructing and using force against public servants. The sentences are to be served concurrently. Each was also fined 200,000 Pakistani Rupees.
In statements during the trial, the couple described themselves as "prisoners of conscience" who have faced state persecution. Chattha stated, "I am being punished for not only supporting my wife's work and activism, but for choosing this path of resisting injustice as our life journey together." They had previously asserted they were being made an example to create a "chilling effect" against those who oppose "tyranny, oppression, and injustice."
Amnesty International has criticized the proceedings, stating that the couple was denied an open and fair trial. Yasmine Ahmed, Amnesty International's Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact, commented, "These convictions are an indictment of Pakistan's justice system." She added that Mazari and Chattha were being targeted for their human rights work and their exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The organization also expressed concern that the trial was moved inside the prison, with the couple held in a cage-like structure during hearings.
The couple has been in custody since January 23, when they were arrested in a separate case involving an alleged altercation outside the Islamabad High Court. Subsequently, they were sentenced to up to 17 years under Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act for social media posts critical of the military. Pakistan's Supreme Court suspended these sentences and granted them bail on September 17. However, they were re-arrested the same day in connection with another case related to a protest in March 2025, where they were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads.
Mazari and Chattha are known for representing activists, journalists, and marginalized communities subjected to enforced disappearances. Mazari's mother, Shireen Mazari, is a former human rights minister who served in the government of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The convictions have drawn criticism from international human rights organizations concerned about the treatment of lawyers and activists in Pakistan.