A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison over allegations that they interfered with security arrangements during England’s cricket tour of Pakistan in 2024.
The couple were accused of removing roadblocks and obstructing police officers in Islamabad, allegations they have consistently denied. The incident reportedly occurred on October 25, 2024, when England’s cricket team was visiting Pakistan. Prosecutors told the court that Mazari and Chattha removed barriers along a road reserved for the team’s security convoy and confronted police officers at Zero Point, a major road junction in the capital.
The court handed each of them a 10-year prison sentence under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act. They also received additional terms of one and two years for obstructing and using force against public servants. However, all the sentences will run concurrently, meaning they will serve a total of 10 years.
Each was further ordered to pay a fine of 200,000 Pakistani rupees, equivalent to approximately Sh94000.
During the proceedings, the couple maintained that their prosecution was politically motivated, describing themselves as prisoners of conscience facing persecution for their human rights work. Chattha said he was being punished not only for supporting his wife’s activism but also for choosing to stand alongside her in challenging injustice.
The convictions have attracted criticism from international human rights organisations, particularly Amnesty International, which questioned whether the couple had received a fair trial.
Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact, Yasmine Ahmed, described the convictions as a reflection of serious concerns within Pakistan’s justice system. She maintained that the couple were being targeted because of their human rights advocacy and their exercise of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
The organisation also raised concerns over the conduct of the trial, which was moved inside the prison where the two were being held. According to Amnesty International, the couple appeared in court hearings from behind a cage-like enclosure, raising further questions about the fairness and openness of the proceedings.
The latest sentences come amid a series of criminal cases against the lawyers. Mazari and Chattha have been in custody since January 23, following their arrest over a separate alleged confrontation outside the Islamabad High Court. On January 24, they were sentenced to prison terms of up to 17 years under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act over social media posts critical of the country’s military.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court later suspended those sentences and granted the couple bail on September 17. However, they were arrested again on the same day in connection with another case relating to a protest held in March 2025. Prosecutors accused them of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads during the demonstration.
Mazari and Chattha are well-known human rights lawyers who have represented activists, journalists and marginalised groups, including people affected by enforced disappearances. Mazari is also the daughter of Shireen Mazari, a former human rights minister who served under former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Their repeated arrests and convictions have drawn condemnation from human rights groups, which have expressed concern over the treatment of lawyers and activists in Pakistan and the broader implications for freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest.
