{
  "id": 17036181,
  "title": "ATC sentences Imaan, Hadi to 10 years in security breach case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/atc-sentences-imaan-hadi-to-10-years-in-security-breach-case-17036181",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-29T08:54:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2040694/atc-sentences-imaan-hadi-to-10-years-in-security-breach-case"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court handed 10-year prison sentences to human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, for their involvement in a security breach case. The verdict was delivered at Adiala Jail after a trial that commenced on October 7, following the couple's plea of not guilty. The court had previously reserved its judgment on October 27, after the conclusion of final arguments. Both defendants were also fined under separate legal provisions. The charges against Imaan and Hadi stemmed from an allegation that they disrupted an international cricket team's security route and incited public unrest by removing barriers from the route. The couple had been tried in jail, accused of removing barriers from a security route and inciting public unrest. The trial began after both lawyers pleaded not guilty and were initially on bail. A state counsel represented their defense during the proceedings, while the prosecution presented seven witnesses. Both accused recorded statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the final arguments were completed on October 27. The court then reserved its verdict, which was announced on October 29. The accused had denied the charges, claiming they were being targeted for their human rights work and pro bono legal assistance to marginalized communities. They argued that the evidence against them was not substantial and that their trial had been conducted with them in a cage, preventing effective communication with their counsel and the court. Imaan emphasized that the couple had spent three years of their marriage in jail and suffered separation from one another, asserting that they had endured hardship for their activism and had not done so for personal gain. Despite their claims, the court upheld the sentences, citing their alleged involvement in the security breach case.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each in the security breach case. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict at Adiala Jail, where the trial was conducted. The court had reserved its judgment on October 27, following the conclusion of final arguments. The sentence was…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}