Pakistan court sentences prominent rights lawyers to 10 years

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison each on Thursday. The trial was held inside Adiala Jail. Prosecutors said the couple endangered security arrangements for England’s visiting cricket team by removing barriers and blocking a road in Islamabad in October 2024.

Both pleaded not guilty. Mazari said police stopped them while she was trying to reach court to represent a client. Reuters reported that additional one- and two-year sentences for obstructing and assaulting public servants will run concurrently. Mazari’s mother said the couple could not use their own lawyer or obtain key documents; the prosecutor did not immediately answer Reuters, and the family said it would appeal to the Supreme Court.

The pair are known for representing journalists, activists, minorities and families of people allegedly disappeared by security agencies. Amnesty International has described their repeated detention as politically motivated, while Pakistan’s law minister says the judiciary is independent. Those are opposing claims, not findings resolved by Thursday’s verdict. The appeal process will test both the convictions and the alleged procedural failures.