World News
Pakistan court sentences rights lawyers Imaan Mazari, Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years
Al Jazeera reports the sentences stem from an October 2024 Islamabad barrier incident; the couple deny the charges.
The short version
- An antiterrorism court sentenced rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years on terrorism-related charges, with the verdict announced after a trial inside Adiala prison.[Al Jazeera]
- The case concerns an October 2024 Islamabad incident in which the couple allegedly removed barriers on a route for the touring England cricket team; the judge reportedly wrote they put the team's security at risk to create terror.[Al Jazeera]
- The couple deny the charges and call the trial a sham; their defence plans a Supreme Court petition, while Amnesty International calls the case an indictment of Pakistan's justice system and the law minister says the judiciary is independent.[Al Jazeera]
Key facts
- An antiterrorism court sentenced human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison on terrorism-related charges.[Al Jazeera]
- Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict following a trial inside Adiala prison in Rawalpindi.[Al Jazeera]
- According to a judgement copy obtained by AFP, the judge wrote that the couple were found guilty of putting the security of the England and Wales Cricket team at risk.[Al Jazeera]
- The case relates to an October 2024 incident in which the couple removed road barriers in Islamabad along a route designated for the touring England cricket team.[Al Jazeera]
- The couple denied the charges and called themselves prisoners of conscience, saying they are targeted for their human rights work.[Al Jazeera]
- Amnesty International called the convictions an indictment of Pakistan's justice system and said the anti-terrorism charges are being used to punish the couple for their human rights advocacy.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- Whether the couple removed the barriers is alleged rather than established, and the couple deny the charges.[Al Jazeera]
- The outcome of the planned Supreme Court petition is unknown; the law minister says the judiciary is independent, while Amnesty disputes the process.[Al Jazeera]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.