Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha Sentenced to 10 Years Each in Security Breach Case

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) 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.

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 case concerns allegations that the couple disrupted the security route of an international cricket team in 2024 and incited public unrest. Prosecutors accused them of removing barriers along the route. Both defendants denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.

Court Hears Seven Prosecution Witnesses

The court indicted Imaan and Hadi on October 7 and subsequently began the trial. Both had remained on bail in this case before the verdict.

The court appointed state counsel Atif Mehmood to represent the defence. He cross-examined the prosecution witnesses during the proceedings, 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 also completed final arguments that day.

The court then reserved its verdict and scheduled the announcement for October 29.

Couple Challenges Jail Trial

On Monday, Imaan and Hadi approached the Supreme Court to challenge an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order dated October 19. That order had declined to stay the trial.

The IHC had also heard their appeals against an ATC order issued on October 10. The earlier order dismissed petitions challenging the framing of charges and the inclusion of terrorism-related provisions.

The high court issued notices to the relevant parties and said it would decide the next course of action after receiving their responses.

Defendants Deny Charges, Claim Persecution

In their statements recorded under Section 342, Imaan and Hadi rejected the allegations. They claimed the authorities were targeting them because of their human rights work and pro bono legal assistance to marginalised communities.

“The evidence produced during this trial is not against us, but in fact a charge sheet against (prosecution witnesses)/police officials and the state,” the couple said in separate but similar statements, according to copies cited by Dawn.

They described themselves as “prisoners of conscience” and alleged that the state had persecuted them for their activism.

Imaan also challenged the conduct of the jail trial, saying the couple had been presented in a cage. She argued that this arrangement prevented effective communication with their lawyers and the court.

The couple maintained that the proceedings infringed their constitutional rights to a fair trial, due process and human dignity. They also said their incarceration had caused prolonged separation during the early years of their marriage.

Imaan argued that the case was intended to discourage others from speaking against oppression and injustice. These statements reflect the defendants’ position; the court’s verdict represents its ruling in the security breach case.

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Earlier Convictions and Rearrest

The couple has remained in custody since January 23, when police arrested them in a separate case linked to a protest outside the Islamabad High Court. Authorities also accused them of manhandling the IHC Bar Association president.

A sessions court sentenced them to 17 years in prison the following day in a separate case involving social media posts under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Lawyers, rights organisations and United Nations experts criticised those convictions.

On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences in the social media case and ordered their release while the IHC considered their appeals against the trial court’s decision.

However, Islamabad police arrested the couple again hours later in connection with the security breach case. Police registered that case at Kohsar police station on March 22, 2025, on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.

The latest sentence adds another legal development to the couple’s ongoing cases, with related proceedings and challenges before higher courts.