ATC sentences Imaan, Hadi to 10 years in security breach case

An anti-terrorism court sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years imprisonment each in a security breach case on Thursday. The verdict was delivered at Adiala Jail following the conclusion of final arguments on October 27. The court had reserved its judgment on October 27 after the trial concluded.

Both accused were fined and had previously been tried in jail in a 2024 case involving the alleged disruption of an international cricket team's security route and incitement to public unrest. The couple was indicted on October 7 and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial commenced after their appearance in court on the same day, and both were on bail prior to the verdict.

A state counsel represented the defense, while the prosecution presented seven witnesses. Both accused recorded statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure during the trial, and final arguments were concluded on the same day. Following the trial, the court reserved its verdict, which was pronounced on October 29.

The couple had challenged the Islamabad High Court's order refusing to stay the trial and appealed to the Supreme Court to contest the IHC's decision on October 19. In their statements recorded under Section 342, the couple denied the charges, alleging that they were targeted for their human rights work and pro bono legal assistance to marginalized and oppressed communities.

They claimed that the trial was conducted with them in a cage, preventing effective communication with their counsel or the court, and that their constitutional rights to fair trial, due process, and basic human dignity had been infringed. The lawyer highlighted that the couple had spent three years of their marriage in jail and suffered separation from each other, emphasizing their actions were not for personal gain but for their activism.