Imaan Mazari and Hadi challenge security breach case as ATC reserves verdict

Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha have accused authorities of using a security-related case to punish them for their legal work and activism arguing that the proceedings reflect a wider pattern of reprisals against human rights defenders.

Human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha have accused authorities of using a security-related case to punish them for their legal work and activism arguing that the proceedings reflect a wider pattern of reprisals against human rights defenders.

The trial concluded on Tuesday at Adiala Jail where an anti-terrorism court (ATC) reserved its decision after recording statements from both accused under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Final arguments from the state’s lawyer were also completed.

The couple is facing charges linked to an incident on October 25, 2024 involving the removal of security barriers placed along a route designated for an international cricket team near Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited on Faisal Avenue. Prosecutors allege that the incident disrupted security arrangements and contributed to public unrest. The couple was indicted on October 7.

In their statements, Imaan and Hadi rejected the prosecution’s allegations and challenged the credibility of witnesses describing their testimony as inconsistent with available video footage. They maintained that the case was connected to their work providing legal assistance to vulnerable communities including street vendors and people affected by alleged false blasphemy accusations and enforced disappearances.

Imaan also questioned the legal basis for closing the road saying police could not produce a magistrate’s order when she asked about the restriction. She claimed the prosecution had not presented such an order during the trial.

The lawyer further challenged the fairness of the proceedings arguing that the couple’s trial inside a jail and their placement in a cage restricted communication with their lawyers and the court. She said they had raised objections before both the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Supreme Court.

Hadi said he believed he was facing punishment for supporting his wife’s activism and opposing injustice. Both accused alleged that their continued detention was intended to discourage others from speaking against alleged abuses.

The couple has been in custody since January 23 when they were arrested in a separate case involving a protest outside the Islamabad High Court and allegations of manhandling the IHC Bar Association president.

A day after that arrest, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years in a separate case concerning social media posts under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. The convictions drew criticism from lawyers and United Nations experts.

On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended those sentences and ordered their release while appeals were pending before the IHC. However, Islamabad police arrested them again hours later in connection with the security breach case.

The couple has also approached the Supreme Court to challenge an IHC order dated October 19 that declined to suspend the ongoing trial. The high court is considering their challenges to an ATC decision upholding the framing of charges and the inclusion of terrorism-related provisions.

The ATC’s reserved verdict will determine the next development in the security breach proceedings.