Pakistan sentences two rights lawyers to decade in prison under terror legislation

A court in Pakistan has sentenced prominent rights attorneys Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison under the country's anti-terrorism statutes.

The convictions stem from allegations that the couple moved police security barricades in Islamabad during a tour by the England cricket squad. According to court records obtained by Agence France-Presse, Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra ruled that endangering the sports delegation demonstrated an intent to incite public panic and terror.

Both defendants denied the charges, arguing that authorities singled them out because of their advocacy and legal representation of dissenters. In court documents, they contended that the prosecution was designed to set an example and intimidate anyone willing to challenge injustice and oppression.

The legal troubles linked to the cricket tour began in October 2024 when authorities initially detained the two lawyers for shifting street barriers. Although released after that incident, they were apprehended again in January 2026 and handed a 17-year prison term over online statements.

Pakistan's Supreme Court intervened in September to put those earlier sentences on hold. However, law enforcement officials took the pair back into custody within hours on distinct allegations.

The ongoing prosecution of the couple has drawn sharp criticism from global watchdogs. Human Rights Watch previously called on Pakistani officials to cease deploying criminal statutes against attorneys exercising peaceful dissent. Amnesty International similarly denounced the continuous detentions, labeling the accusations baseless and an affront to the pair's dedicated human rights advocacy.