6 publishers · first seen Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:25 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:52 UTC
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison each over allegations of disrupting security during an international cricket team's visit to Islamabad in October 2024. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra convicted the couple on charges including obstructing public officials and violating the Anti-Terrorism Act, ordering the sentences to run concurrently and imposing fines of Rs100,000 each.
The pair denied the allegations, stating they were targeted for their human rights work, and claimed the proceedings violated their constitutional rights. They were previously sentenced to 17 years in a separate case over social media posts, but the Supreme Court suspended those sentences in September 2026, though they were rearrested hours later. Rights groups have criticized the prosecutions, calling them an attack on peaceful dissent.
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