Lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband, defender Hadi Ali Chattha. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha have filed an appeal before 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 set aside the trial court’s verdict of January 24, stay the sentence and grant them bail.
The appeal argues that the trial court failed to comply with legal requirements and handed down the sentence even though a transfer petition was pending before the IHC. He claims that a verdict cannot legally be rendered while the petition is being considered.
Read: Islamabad court sentences Imaan and Hadi to 17 years in prison in social media posts case
The petition further alleges that the trial court curtailed the right to defense and did not guarantee transparency during the process. It says that when a state lawyer complained that the questions had been shared beforehand, the court did not order any investigation into the matter.
The appeal also alleges that violence was used during the arrest as the couple was brought before the trial court. He alleges that the court did not examine allegations of assault during his appearance via video link and questions how cross-examination could properly be 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 sentencing of Imaan and his spouse
The case centers 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 that the content was aimed at inciting divisions and negatively portraying state institutions.
The conviction has drawn international attention. Amnesty International issued an urgent action call to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on 2 February, calling for the couple’s immediate and unconditional release.
On February 4, United Nations experts also expressed alarm at the verdict. Five UN special rapporteurs said the couple had been sentenced to long prison terms for “simply exercising rights guaranteed by international human rights law”.
