Imaan and Chattha receive the Ludovic Trarieux Human Rights Award for their defense of human rights

Lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, have received the prestigious Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Award in recognition of their work on behalf of human rights and marginalized communities, it emerged on Tuesday.

Imaan and Chattha are currently serving prison terms after an Islamabad district and sessions court found them guilty earlier this year in a case related to controversial social media posts and sentenced each of them to 17 years in prison.

According to a statement issued by the Forensic Union for the Protection of Human Rights (UFDU) on June 13, the award is considered the oldest and one of the most prestigious international honors awarded to a lawyer.

Created in memory of Ludovic Trarieux, a French lawyer who founded the League for the Defense of Human and Citizen Rights in 1898, the prize is awarded annually to a lawyer who has made an exceptional contribution to the defense of human rights, the rule of law and the fight against racism and all forms of intolerance through his professional commitment.

The awards ceremony was held in the Parliamentary Room of the National Bar Council in Rome. Among those present was the lawyer Antonino Galletti, coordinator of the European and International Law Commission of the National Council of Lawyers.

The statement notes that in recent years, Imaan and Chattha have carried out their work “against a context of increasing pressure on lawyers and human rights defenders in Pakistan, according to international organizations and observers.”

“In awarding the 2026 Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize, the jury recognized the professional and personal contribution of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha to the defense of the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and access to justice,” the statement said.

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Background of the case

The case against Imaan and Hadi relates to allegedly controversial posts and republishings on X, described by authorities as “anti-state”. The National Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Agency registered the case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, alleging that the content was aimed at inciting divisions and negatively portraying state institutions.

The social media posts case reached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after the trial court proceedings on November 19, during which the testimonies of all prosecution witnesses were recorded. The two layers had questioned procedural irregularities, including recording of evidence in their absence and appointment of state-appointed lawyers without their consent, prompting the IHC’s intervention.

Legal bodies, including the Islamabad Bar Association, have criticized aspects of the process, arguing that the accused’s right to a fair defense has been undermined.

His plea to transfer the case was heard by the high court, which refused to grant an immediate stay. The couple then approached the Supreme Court, which temporarily halted the trial until the high court completed its hearing.

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Meanwhile, many other FIRs surfaced against the couple during this time. One of the newly surfaced FIRs, registered at the Kohsar police station on July 26, 2025, was lodged on the complaint of Superintendent of Police Safdar Hussain in connection with a protest by the Balock Yakjehti Committee at the National Press Club under multiple sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The couple was arrested on January 23 near the underpass in front of Hotel Serena while on their way to the district courts, and later sent to 14-day judicial remand by an anti-terrorism court.

Subsequently, a district and sessions court sentenced both to a combined sentence of 17 years of rigorous imprisonment each: five years under Section 9 of the 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 jail term in case of non-payment of fines. The judge also acquitted them of the PECA hate speech charge under Section 11, saying that prosecution witnesses did not support that charge.

During the process held by videoconference, Imaan reported ill-treatment in custody and announced a boycott of the hearing. The ruling noted that the couple was already in custody in another case and said they would remain in jail to serve their sentences, with credit for time spent in detention under Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure.