In Pakistan, Mazari and Chattha remanded in custody in another case — Dawn
In Islamabad, Pakistan, human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, were remanded in judicial custody in another case — several hours after the Supreme Court suspended the enforcement of their sentences in a case over social media posts. Dawn reports, citing Mazari’s mother and her lawyer.
Former federal minister Shireen Mazari said that attempts were being made to prevent the couple from being released from prison. Their lawyer, Riasat Ali Azad, confirmed that a large Islamabad police contingent took Mazari and Chattha to the Kohsar police station. Anti-Terrorism Court judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, who was at the station, remanded both of them in judicial custody in FIR No. 276/2025, registered at the Kohsar station.
Supreme Court decision
On the same day, a two-judge Supreme Court bench — Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim — suspended the January 24 verdict. The court also ordered the lawyers’ release on bail pending the Islamabad High Court’s final decision on their appeals. A personal surety bond of 200,000 Pakistani rupees was set for each of them.
In a written order, the Supreme Court ruled that the petitions filed by Mazari and Chattha should be treated as appeals and said it would issue a detailed decision later. Justice Afghan noted that the Islamabad High Court had referred to Supreme Court directives on the swift consideration of the case but had not complied with them.
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Sentence over social media posts
On January 24, an Islamabad court sentenced Mazari and Chattha to 17 years in prison under several provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. They were given 10 years for cyberterrorism, five years for glorifying a crime, and two years for spreading false information; all sentences were to run concurrently.
The proceedings were based on a complaint filed on August 12, 2025, by an official of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. The complaint accused Mazari of spreading narratives that, according to the complainant, aligned with the positions of hostile terrorist and banned organizations. Chattha was accused of reposting some of her posts. The couple is appealing the sentences before the Islamabad High Court.
Previous detention
Mazari and Chattha have been in custody since January 23 after being detained in a case concerning a protest outside the Islamabad High Court and the alleged use of force against the president of that court’s Bar Association. Their detention was then criticized by human rights organizations, politicians, and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.
