He says that while Pakistan remains committed to the EU on all issues, “we make a distinction in our internal affairs.”
Lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, defender Hadi Ali Chattha. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The Foreign Office (FO) rejected criticism from the European Union (EU) over the convictions of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, saying the issue was an “internal matter” of the country.
The two were convicted in Islamabad last week in a case involving alleged posts and reruns on X that investigators described as “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 proscribed organizations or individuals.
The convictions were widely condemned by the legal community, politicians and civil society.
Joining the criticism, the spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU Anouar El Anouni said today in a publication on X that the sentences went against freedom of expression and the independence of lawyers.
“These are not only key democratic principles, but also part of Pakistan’s international human rights commitments.”
The EU Delegation to Pakistan expanded on the statement in a post on X, sharing the spokesperson’s message on the case.
Questioned about the matter during his weekly press briefing, FO spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said: “This is an internal matter of Pakistan, the trial and conviction were carried out according to our local laws through a judicial process. The relevant persons have the right to appeal and judicial remedy. As such, there are internal remedies available to these persons.”
He added that while Pakistan remains committed to the EU on all issues, “we make a distinction in our internal affairs.”
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.
A district and sessions court subsequently sentenced both to a combined sentence of 17 years of 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 jail time 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.
Read more: Imaan Mazari alleges ill-treatment as court hears tweet case via video link
During the process carried out by videoconference, Mazari denounced mistreatment 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.
