The ATC reveals the verdict in two cases registered following the acts of vandalism of May 9, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in the federal capital has sentenced more than half a dozen journalists and YouTubers, including Adil Raja, to “rigorous life imprisonment” for “digital terrorism” in two different cases arising out of the May 9, 2023 acts of violence.
Islamabad ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Supra announced his verdict on Friday following a trial which was held in absentia as none of the accused were in Pakistan.
The cases were registered at Aabpara police station and Ramna police station in Islamabad.
The prosecution had accused the convicted individuals of “digital terrorism” – instigating, facilitating and amplifying attacks on state institutions during the May 9 unrest.
Gulfam Ashraf Goraya, court-appointed lawyer for the accused, as well as Raja Naveed Hussain Kiani, the prosecution lawyer, were present in the courtroom when the judge announced the verdict.
Adil Raja, Shaheen Sehbai, Haider Mehdi and Wajahat Saeed were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on two counts in the case registered at Ramna police station.
Journalists Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada and Syed Akbar Hussain, named in the Aabpara Police Station (FIR), were also sentenced to life imprisonment on two counts.
The court sentenced the accused to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined each of them Rs 200,000 under Section 121-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan.
They were punished with another 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 200,000 under Section 131 of the PPC which deals with abetting mutiny or attempting to divert a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty.
The court also sentenced them to 5 years’ rigorous imprisonment for three counts under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. It also imposed a fine of Rs 200,000 on each of them for the three offences.
If they fail to pay the fine for any of the offenses, the imprisonment period will be extended by six months.
The orders further stated that the benefit of Section 382-B (period of detention to be taken into account while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the Code of Criminal Procedure was extended to the convicts and all sentences were to run concurrently.
“The convict is hereby informed that he has the right to appeal to the Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, within seven days,” each of the orders said.
The court also authorized and directed the relevant police station officials to arrest the convicts “subject to their availability and take him to jail for the execution of his sentence.”
During the trial, a total of 24 witnesses were produced by the prosecution before the court, which completed the trial in the absence of the accused at the request of the prosecution. According to the ATA, 1997, a trial can take place in the absence of the accused.
