ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned proceedings until July 21 after issuing notices to other parties, including the Additional Attorney General, on petitions seeking suspension of the sentences awarded to human rights lawyer Iman Mazari and activist Hadi Ali Chatha.
The two have been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since January, following their conviction under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
On January 24, 2026, an Islamabad sessions court sentenced each to a total of 17 years — 10 years for “cyber terrorism” under Section 10, five years for “glorification of an offence” under Section 9, and two years for “false information” under Section 26-A. The sentences run concurrently, accompanied by fines.
The allegations stem from social media posts between 2021 and 2025, largely on X (formerly Twitter), in which Mazari and Chatha expressed solidarity with Baloch and Pashtun activists, criticized the military’s role in enforced disappearances, and accused security forces of abuses.
Prosecutors argued that such content promoted anti-state narratives, incited ethnic divisions, and glorified proscribed groups. Chatha was additionally charged for reposting some of the material. The complaint was filed in August 2025 with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Their arrest in January 2026 — while en route to court in another matter — and sentencing the following day drew sharp criticism.
Rights groups including Amnesty International and Front Line Defenders, as well as opposition figures and lawyers, condemned the trial as rushed and marred by irregularities, citing claims of evidence recorded in absentia and boycotts over alleged mistreatment.
Similarly, supporters describe the pair as defenders of marginalized communities, while critics maintain their work crossed into anti-state propaganda.
The case has become a flashpoint in Pakistan’s debate over free speech and digital regulation. Human rights organizations and international observers have called the convictions an attack on fair trial rights and judicial independence, whereas the government frames the prosecution as legitimate enforcement against cyber terrorism and misinformation.
