Pakistani court postpones verdict in case of rights defenders Mazari and Chattha — Dawn
Pakistan's anti-terrorism court has concluded hearings in the case of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, who are accused of allegedly breaching the security route of an international cricket team and inciting public unrest. The hearing was held at Adiala Jail, and the court postponed the announcement of its verdict, Dawn reports.
During the hearing, both defendants gave explanations in accordance with Article 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The representative of the state prosecution also completed his arguments.
Statements by the couple
Mazari-Hazir and Chattha said that the proceedings against them constitute persecution over their legal and human rights work. According to them, the evidence presented during the trial allegedly points not against them, but against the police officers and the state.
The lawyer claims that during the proceedings, she and her husband were kept in a cage, preventing them from properly communicating with their defense lawyers and the court. She also stated that their right to a fair trial, due process, and human dignity had been violated.
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According to Mazari-Hazir's account, on October 25, 2024, the couple was heading to court when police announced the temporary closure of the route for the cricket team's passage. She said she asked law enforcement officers for the magistrate's order on the closure, but was not provided with such a document. The lawyer also disputed the prosecution's testimony, calling it false and contradictory to video footage of the incident.
Appeals and previous cases
The couple is challenging the proceedings in the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. On Monday, they petitioned the Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court's October 19 decision, which refused to halt the trial.
Mazari-Hazir and Chattha have been in custody since their arrest on January 23 in a case concerning a protest outside the Islamabad High Court and alleged mistreatment of the president of that court's bar association. The following day, the court sentenced them to 17 years in prison on multiple charges in a case involving controversial social media posts. On September 17, the Supreme Court suspended these sentences pending a final decision by the Islamabad High Court on their appeals, but several hours later police detained the couple again in the security breach case.
