International Civil Society Organizations Condemn Sentencing of Pakistani Human Rights Lawyers Under Anti-Terrorism Legislation
International civil society organizations have strongly condemned the recent sentencing of prominent Pakistani human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha. They were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment under anti-terrorism legislation and three years' imprisonment under the Pakistan Penal Code. The convictions stem from an incident in October 2024, where the lawyers allegedly removed security barriers in Islamabad during the transportation of the visiting England cricket team. They were found guilty of 'serious coercion or intimidation of a public servant' to create terror, 'obstructing any public servant,' and 'assaulting or using criminal force to deter a public servant.' The organizations express serious concerns about the extensive misuse of the criminal justice system and anti-terrorism legislation to punish and intimidate lawyers engaged in human rights work. The trial, conducted inside Adiala prison, reportedly failed to meet fair trial standards, with the lawyers kept in a ...
