Imaan Mazari, Hadi challenge conviction in IHC over social media posts case

ISLAMABAD: Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, have approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging their conviction and 17-year prison sentences in a case linked to controversial social media posts.

In their appeal, the couple requested the high court to declare the trial court’s January 24 verdict null and void, suspend the conviction, and grant them bail. They argued that the trial court acted in violation of legal requirements by announcing the verdict despite a transfer petition pending before the IHC, maintaining that a judgment could not lawfully be delivered while such proceedings were under consideration.

The petition further contended that the trial court curtailed the right to defence and failed to ensure transparency during the trial. It alleged that when a state counsel complained that questions had been shared in advance, the court did not order any inquiry into the matter.

The appeal also raised concerns over the couple’s arrest, alleging that violence was used while they were being brought to court. It said the trial court did not examine claims of assault during their appearance via video link and questioned how effective cross-examination could be conducted from jail without access to case records.

On January 24, a district and sessions court in Islamabad convicted Mazari and Chattha and sentenced them to 17 years’ imprisonment.

The case pertains to alleged posts and reposts on X, formerly Twitter, which authorities described as “anti-state”. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered the case in August last year under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, alleging the content was intended to incite divisions and portray state institutions in a negative light.

The conviction has attracted international attention. Amnesty International issued an urgent action appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on February 2, calling for the couple’s immediate and unconditional release.

On February 4, United Nations experts also expressed alarm over the verdict. Five UN special rapporteurs said the couple had been handed lengthy prison sentences for “simply exercising rights guaranteed by international human rights law”.