ATC announces verdict in two cases registered following acts of vandalism on May 9, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the federal capital sentenced more than half a dozen journalists and YouTubers, including Adil Raja, to “rigorous life imprisonment” for “digital terrorism” in two different cases arising from the May 9, 2023 violence.
Islamabad ATC judge Tahir Abbas Supra on Friday announced his verdict at the conclusion of a trial that was held in absentia as none of the accused is in Pakistan.
The cases were registered at Aabpara police station and Ramna police station in Islamabad.
The prosecution had accused those convicted of “digital terrorism”: inciting, facilitating and amplifying attacks against state institutions during the May 9 riots.
Gulfam Ashraf Goraya, court-appointed lawyer for the accused, as well as Raja Naveed Hussain Kiani, lawyer for the prosecution, 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 charges in the case registered at Ramna police station.
Journalists Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada and Syed Akbar Hussain, appointed in Aabpara police station FIR, were also sentenced to life imprisonment on two charges.
The court sentenced the accused to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 200,000 on each of them under section 121-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan.
They were punished with another sentence of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 200,000 under Article 131 of the PPC, which deals with inciting a mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty.
The court also sentenced them to five years of rigorous imprisonment on three charges 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 do not pay the fine for any of the crimes, their prison period will be extended by six months.
The orders further stated that the benefit of Article 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding imprisonment) of the Code of Criminal Procedure was being extended to the convicts, and that all the sentences were to run simultaneously.
“The convict is informed that he has the right to file/prefer an appeal before the Hon’ble Islamabad High Court within seven days,” each of the orders read.
The court also authorized and directed the concerned police station officers to arrest the convicts “when available and send them to jail to serve their sentence.”
During the trial, a total of 24 witnesses were presented by the prosecution before the court, which completed the trial in the absence of the accused at the request of the prosecution. Under the 1997 ATA, a trial can be held in the absence of the accused.
