UN Experts Alarmed by Conviction of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, Cite Threat to Rule of Law

United Nations human rights experts have expressed serious concern over the conviction and lengthy prison sentences handed down to lawyers and human rights defenders Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, warning that the case poses a grave threat to freedom of expression and the independence of the legal profession in Pakistan. In a statement, the experts said that lawyers, like all individuals, are entitled to freedom of expression under international human rights law and that such expression should never be equated with criminal conduct, particularly terrorism. They cautioned that Pakistan’s broad and vague terrorism-related provisions risk criminalising legitimate advocacy and creating a chilling effect on civil society.

The case stems from a criminal prosecution launched on August 22, 2025, against Mazari-Hazir for posts on X and against Ali Chattha for sharing and reposting those posts. On January 24, 2026, an Islamabad court convicted both under sections 9, 10, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, relating to glorification of an offence, cyber-terrorism, and dissemination of false information. Each was sentenced to multiple concurrent prison terms totalling 17 years, including a 10-year sentence for cyber-terrorism, and fined 36 million rupees.

UN experts noted that the two lawyers have faced at least 10 criminal complaints since 2022, none of which previously resulted in convictions. They said this pattern suggests an arbitrary use of the legal system to harass and intimidate them for their human rights work. The experts also raised concerns over the speed of the proceedings, citing inadequate time to prepare a defence, obstacles in accessing legal counsel of choice, and the recording of prosecution evidence in the absence of the accused.

According to the experts, these factors seriously undermine international fair trial guarantees and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the convictions. They stressed that states must ensure lawyers are not prosecuted for professional actions or identified with the views of their clients. The UN experts have formally contacted the government of Pakistan to convey their concerns and seek clarification on the case.