Lawyer and rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, advocate Hadi Ali Chattha. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, have filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging their conviction in a case related to controversial social media posts.
In the petition, the couple asked the high court to declare the trial court’s January 24 verdict null and void, suspend the conviction, and grant them bail.
The appeal argues that the trial court failed to meet legal requirements and delivered its judgment even though a transfer petition was pending before the IHC. It states that a verdict cannot lawfully be issued while such a petition is under consideration.
Read: Islamabad court sentences Imaan, Hadi to 17-year prison terms in social media posts case
The petition further alleges that the trial court curtailed the right to defence and did not ensure transparency during the proceedings. It says that when a state counsel complained that questions had been shared in advance, the court did not order any inquiry into the matter.
The appeal also claims that violence was used during the arrest when the couple was being brought to the trial court. It alleges that the court did not examine claims of assault during their appearance through a video link and questions how cross-examination could be properly conducted from jail without access to case files.
On January 24, a district and sessions court in Islamabad convicted Mazari and Chattha in the case and sentenced them to 17 years in prison.
Read More: Lawyers observe strike over Imaan, spouse sentencing
The case centres on alleged posts and reposts on X, formerly Twitter, which authorities have described as “anti-state”. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered the case in August last year under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, alleging the content was intended to incite divisions and portray state institutions negatively.
The conviction has drawn international attention. Amnesty International issued an urgent action appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on February 2, calling for the couple’s immediate and unconditional release.
On February 4, United Nations experts also expressed alarm over the verdict. Five UN special rapporteurs said the couple had been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for “simply exercising rights guaranteed by international human rights law”.
