The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and its partner organizations issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning the “arbitrary arrest” and conviction of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatta. They called for their immediate release.
Both Imaan and Hadi were sentenced to 17 years in jail, with the longest sentence being 10 years each, under Section 9 (glorification of an offence), Section 10 (cyberterrorism), and Section 26-A (false and fake information) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). They were handed a collective fine of Rs36 million.
The statement highlighted that Imaan and Hadi had been arrested while en route to a hearing in a controversial social media posts case. Police used “undue force” without producing an arrest warrant or FIR, despite the Islamabad High Court issuing an order on January 21 granting temporary relief from their arrests and guaranteeing a complete defense.
The ICJ stated that after receiving the court’s order, police invoked backdated FIRs against Imaan and Hadi. The act was criticized as being widely misused to suppress online expression in Pakistan, raising concerns about due process and trial fairness. The joint statement noted that the case marked a trend of judicial persecution on lawyers for their work.
The couple faced multiple parallel criminal proceedings under anti-terrorism and blasphemy laws, repeated cancellations of bail, and continued threats of arrest. Imaan alleged being subjected to “torture” in detention, denied food and water.
Moreover, they were not allowed to complete the cross-examination of prosecution witnesses or have legal counsel while in custody. The ICJ called on Pakistan to respect and uphold international laws, particularly those against torture, and demanded unconditional release for Imaan and Hadi, ensuring their safety and proper medical care. They also called for an inquiry into police use of force and cessation of misuse of Peca and anti-terrorism acts against lawyers and human rights defenders.