SC suspends Imaan, Hadi's sentences in controversial social media posts case, orders their release

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has temporarily halted the sentences of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse, Hadi Ali Chattha, in the highly contentious social media posts case. This decision came following a two-judge bench of the SC, consisting of Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, who heard the couple's appeals against the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) refusal to suspend their sentences in February.

On January 24, an Islamabad sessions court had sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a combined 17 years in prison on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). The convictions of the couple, already incarcerated the day prior in a separate case, drew widespread condemnation from legal professionals and United Nations (UN) experts.

In response, the SC granted bail to the couple, subject to the payment of a Rs200,000 surety bond, and ordered their release pending the IHC's final decision. Justice Afghan, however, cautioned the lawyers, emphasizing the distinction between a professional and an ordinary individual. The couple's lawyer, Faisal Siddiqui, argued that the SC had mandated the IHC to expedite its decision on the petition for sentence suspension, ideally within two weeks.

The case has been ongoing since the couple's arrest on January 23, following a complaint filed by NCCIA Islamabad's assistant director on Aug 12, 2025. The charges they face include cyber terrorism, glorification of an offense, and spreading false or fake information, stemming from a complaint alleging that Imaan disseminated narratives supporting hostile terrorist groups while Hadi reposted her content.

They were also accused of blaming security forces for missing persons cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and portraying the armed forces as ineffective against certain groups, including the BLA and TTP.