400 lawyers call for urgent hearing of Imaan and Hadi’s pleas for sentence suspension

ISLAMABAD: Around 400 lawyers on Wednesday signed a resolution calling for an urgent hearing of sentence suspension pleas filed by human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, over their conviction in the controversial tweets case.

On January 24, Imaan and Hadi were handed a total of 17 years in jail on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electr­onic Crimes Act (Peca) by a sessions court in Islamabad, sparking outrage among rights groups, opposition parties, and other segments of society.

The lawyer duo was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment under Peca’s Section 10 (cyberterrorism), five years’ jail under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years in prison under Section 26-A (false and fake information).

In the resolution, also shared by Imaan’s mother and former human rights minister Shireen Mazari on X, the lawyers expressed solidarity with Imaan and Hadi.

They stated that the couple had been the “voice of the marginalised sections of the society, and had always attempted to restore the public’s faith in the justice system”.

The joint statement said that their actions had always been within the ambit of the Constitution and the law, reiterating that “it is illegal to interpret a lawyer’s public statements or social media posts — which have always been for the purpose of advocating for human rights — as having criminal intent (Mens Rea)”.

The resolution maintained that the filing of such cases against them was “not only malicious in intent but also amounted to harassment of the legal fraternity and obstruction of their duties”.

The lawyers, in the resolution, laid out four demands to the Islamabad Bar Association, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association and the Islamabad Bar Council, stating that the case against Imaan and Hadi was in “violation of Article 10A (right to fair trial) of the Constitution”.

The joint statement also sought the urgent fixing of the pleas seeking suspension of the couple’s sentences.

“The pleas should be heard on a priority basis,” the resolution read. It further demanded that a representative from the Islamabad Bar “should visit the jail to review the facilities provided to the couple and examine their health and submit a report to the general body”.

Thirdly, the resolution sought the provision of “B-class facilities” to Mazari and Chattha, “as stipulated by the jail manual in accordance with their education, professional and social status”.

The joint statement demanded that Imaan and Hadi should be given a fair trial and that not presenting them in court due to “security considerations” was an obstruction of justice, the resolution read.

Lastly, the resolution sought an end to cases registered against lawyers “based on social media posts or legal opinion”.

On February 7, the couple had challenged the trial court’s order. In their appeals, the two contended that the impugned judgment was passed in blatant violation of settled legal principles and mandatory procedural requi­rements.

Earlier this month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dissolved a bench hearing the appeals and ordered the file to be placed before Chief Justice Sardar Sarfaraz Dogar for the constitution of a new bench.

During the proceedings, the counsel for the appellants, Riasat Ali Azad, argued that despite the matter being taken up on February 19, no effective date had been assigned for the hearing, prolonging the incarceration of his clients.