Lawyers Imaan Mazari, Hadi Chattha awarded prestigious human rights prize for advocacy work

Prominent lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, currently serving jail sentences, have been awarded the prestigious Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize for their advocacy work, it emerged on Tuesday.

According to the official website, the prize is the world’s oldest and most prestigious human rights honour awarded to lawyers, established in honour of French lawyer Ludovic Trarieux who founded the League for the Defence of Human and Citizen Rights in 1898.

The first recipient of the award was Nelson Mandela in 1985, while he was imprisoned under South Africa’s apartheid regime.

An official press release issued by the Forensic Union for the Protection of Human Rights (UFDU) on Saturday said the award “is presented annually to a lawyer who, through his or her professional commitment, has made an extraordinary contribution to the defence of human rights, the rule of law, and the fight against racism and all forms of intolerance.”

The award ceremony took place in Rome, at the Parlamentino Hall of the National Bar Council, in the presence of Antonino Galletti, Coordinator of the European and International Law Commission at the National Bar Council, said the statement.

The press release noted that throughout his career, Hadi has represented people accused of blasphemy, victims of sexual violence and enforced disappearances, and death row inmates. Mazari, meanwhile, “has distinguished herself by providing legal assistance to victims of violence and persecution and by supporting vulnerable religious and ethnic communities”, the statement said.

“Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have shared a long-standing professional commitment to defending fundamental freedoms, representing journalists, activists, victims of enforced disappearances, and individuals prosecuted for blasphemy charges,” it added, noting that in recent years, this work was set against a backdrop of “growing pressure on lawyers and human rights defenders in Pakistan” according to international organisations and observers.

“By awarding the 2026 Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize, the jury recognised the professional and personal contributions of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in upholding the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and access to justice,” the statement said.

Mazari’s mother, Shireen Mazari, posted about the award on X, calling it an “immense professional honour” and expressing gratitude for the recognition of her daughter.

Meanwhile, the prize for the ‘Bar of the Year 2o26’ was awarded to the South Sudan Bar Association.

Imaan and Hadi have been in jail since their arrest in January in a case registered against the two for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) president.

While the arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians, and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years in prison in the social media posts case just a day after the development.

The controversy at the centre of the case stems from a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, by the NCCIA Islamabad assistant director (investigating officer) before the Cybercrime Reporting Centre, FIA, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (Peca).

The complaint accused Imaan of disseminating and “propagating narratives that align with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations”, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her posts.

In January, the sessions court sentenced the duo to 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 10 (cyber terrorism), five years’ imprisonment under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years’ imprisonment under Section 26-A (false and fake information) of Peca.

Subsequently, they challenged their conviction by filing separate appeals in the IHC on February 7.

On April 30, the duo had moved another appeal in the SC, seeking an early hearing of their pleas against their conviction.