Hearing in Mazari and Chattha case to be held at Adiala Prison — The Express Tribune
In Pakistan, the next hearing in the case of lawyer and human rights defender Imaan Mazari and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, will be held at Adiala Prison. The Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court was informed that the Ministry of Law had issued the relevant notification. Lawyers and witnesses were instructed to come to the prison for the hearing in the case concerning the dismantling of barriers.
Defense complaints about meeting conditions
As The Express Tribune reports, Mazari and Chattha joined the hearing via video link, while their lawyers were present in court. One of the defense lawyers submitted a written application describing difficulties encountered while meeting with the clients at Adiala Prison.
According to him, the meeting required a wait of about an hour and lasted 25 minutes. The lawyer said the conversation took place in a conference room, was recorded, and confidentiality was not ensured. He also claims that he was unable to hand the accused copies of the case materials. During the meeting with Mazari, two female constables were present, the door remained open, and male constables stood outside, the defense lawyer's application states.
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The position of the court and the accused
The defense insisted that the proceedings should not take place without the personal presence of the accused. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra said that for several days he had ordered Mazari and Chattha to be brought to court and criticized the police's actions. He also ordered a check into whether the prison administration had provided an explanation as to why the accused were not brought to court.
Hadi Ali Chattha said via video link that the couple objects neither to attending the court hearing in person nor to a hearing being held in prison, provided their lawyers and journalists are allowed into Adiala. According to the defense lawyer, Mazari and Chattha are not boycotting the proceedings, but due to sound and internet problems during online hearings, they cannot fully follow the hearings or consult with their lawyers.
