They said the exercise of freedom of expression should never be confused with criminal conduct, especially not with terrorism.
Lawyer and rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha. PHOTO: EXPRESS
United Nations experts expressed concern Wednesday over the conviction of lawyers and human rights defenders Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha on multiple criminal charges.
The two men were convicted in Islamabad last month for alleged posts and reposts about X that investigators called “anti-state.” The case was registered in August 2025 by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, with allegations that the content was aimed at undermining state institutions and aligning with banned organizations or individuals.
These convictions were widely condemned by the legal community, politicians and civil society.
Today, five UN special rapporteurs issued a statement emphasizing that the couple were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for “the simple exercise of rights guaranteed by international human rights law.”
The statement states that “lawyers, like other individuals, have the right to freedom of expression. The exercise of this right must never be confused with criminal conduct, and especially not with terrorism.”
They highlighted the “broad and vague definition of terrorism-related offenses” in the country’s counterterrorism framework and said the above exercise “risks undermining and criminalizing the work of lawyers and human rights defenders across Pakistan and has a chilling effect on the country’s civil society.”
Experts observed that these convictions were not the first prosecutions against the two lawyers, adding that they were the subject of 10 criminal complaints since 2022, some of which remain pending. They stressed that the couple had never been convicted of wrongdoing before.
“This pattern of prosecutions suggests an arbitrary use of the justice system as an instrument of harassment and intimidation to punish them for their work on behalf of victims of alleged human rights violations,” the statement said.
It adds that “States must ensure that lawyers are not subject to prosecution for professional acts and that they are not identified with their clients”.
The experts also stressed that the proceedings against the two lawyers were “advancing at a worrying speed”, estimating that the couple “would not have had sufficient time” to prepare their defense.
“They also encountered obstacles in accessing the lawyer of their choice and the testimonies of prosecution witnesses were taken in their absence,” the experts added.
They concluded that international standards provide a set of procedural safeguards that must be made available to those accused of a criminal offense, “but these appear to have been undermined in this case.”
The statement said the “above-mentioned violations seriously threaten the fairness of the trial and sentencing,” adding that the experts have contacted Pakistani authorities to express their concerns.
Human rights organization Amnesty International issued an urgent call for action to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for the couple’s immediate and unconditional release.
In a model letter written to the prime minister, Amnesty outlined the circumstances of their arrest and conviction, saying they were “targeted solely because of their advocacy and work for human rights in the country.”
He said their trial had proceeded with “unusual haste”, adding that they had been “systematically denied the right to cross-examine witnesses and present evidence against them”.
The couple were arrested on January 23 near the underpass outside the Serena Hotel on their way to the district court and then sent to 14-day remand by an anti-terrorism court.
A district court and a magistrate court subsequently sentenced them to a combined term of 17 years’ rigorous imprisonment each: five years under Section 9 of PECA (plus a fine of Rs 5 million), 10 years under Section 10 (plus Rs 30 million) and two years under Section 26-A (plus Rs 1 million), with additional imprisonment for non-payment of the fine. fines. The judge also acquitted them of PECA’s hate speech charge under Article 11, saying prosecution witnesses did not support the allegation.
Learn more: Imaan Mazari alleges mistreatment as court hears case over tweet via video link
During the proceedings conducted via video link, Mazari alleged ill-treatment in detention and announced a boycott of the hearing. The judgment noted that the two men were already in custody in another case and said they would remain in prison to serve their sentences, with credit for time spent in custody under section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
