Imaan, Hadi get 17-year jail terms in social media posts case

ISLAMABAD: Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, were convicted by a district and sessions court in Islamabad in a case pertaining to controversial social media posts on Saturday and sentenced to 17-year prison terms.

The case centres on alleged controversial posts and reposts on X, formerly Twitter, which authorities have described as “anti-state”.

The couple were produced before the court through a video link, with Mazari alleging mistreatment in custody and announcing a boycott of the proceedings.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka announced the verdict. Special prosecutors Barrister Fahad and Rana Usman were present in the courtroom at the time of the verdict, while none of the lawyers representing the couple were present.

The written order said: “From perusal of the tweets, re-tweets and posts of accused persons it follows that they have stated the Pakistan as terrorist state, the detention under section 11-EEE of ATA as illegal detention and have praised proscribed organisations and individual and claimed the judiciary as biased. Ordinarily, this form of narrative employs emotive language, selective presentation of facts, historical grievances, or ideological framing with the object of eroding public confidence in core state institutions, including the judiciary, the armed forces, the legislature, and law-enforcement agencies. In certain instances, it may extend to the glorification of resistance, rebellion, or the denial of the state’s lawful authority.

“In constitutional and national security jurisprudence, courts have consistently drawn a distinction between protected democratic dissent and an anti-state narrative by examining the intent, content, context, and foreseeable impact of the expression in question. Particular weight is accorded to whether such expression incites violence, promotes secession, encourages terrorism, or creates a real, proximate, and tangible threat to public order and national security. The accused persons crossed the permissible boundaries under the law by their tweets, re-tweets and posts; thus, has committed the offence under Section 9/10/26-A of Peca.”

At the outset, the judge asked the accused whether they would begin cross-examination, noting that it was the final day for cross-examination in light of Islamabad High Court orders.

“Is the media present in court?” Mazari asked during the hearing before alleging, “We are being subjected to torture. We are not being given food or water.”

Addressing the judge directly, she said, “You are just doing your job,” and added, “Everything that is happening is because of you.” Mazari then announced, “We are boycotting the court proceedings.”

The judge responded by asking, “You mean you do not want to be part of the proceedings?” and told them to “wait for the decision.”

Before the hearing concluded, Mazari and Chattha stood up and left their chairs while still on the video link. Judge Majoka ordered the court staff to record the entire proceedings, saying, “Record everything and provide it to me.” Staff Report