UN experts condemn convictions of Pakistani lawyers

Islamabad – (Web Desk) – Five UN special rapporteurs on Wednesday criticized Pakistan for convicting a well-known human rights activist and her lawyer husband, handing them long prison terms over alleged “anti-state” social media posts.

Imaan Mazari, a 32-year-old lawyer known for her outspoken criticism of Pakistan’s military, was accused by an Islamabad court of sharing “highly offensive” content on X. Her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, was convicted alongside her.

The UN experts said they had been jailed for “simply exercising rights guaranteed by international human rights law”.

“Lawyers, like other individuals, are entitled to freedom of expression. The exercise of this right should never be conflated with criminal conduct, especially not terrorism,” they said in a joint statement.

“Doing so risks undermining and criminalising the work of lawyers and human rights defenders across Pakistan and has a chilling effect on civil society in the country.”

Mazari shot to prominence tackling some of Pakistan’s most sensitive topics while defending ethnic minorities, journalists facing defamation charges and clients branded blasphemers.

As a pro bono lawyer, Mazari has worked on some of the most sensitive cases in Pakistan, including the enforced disappearances of ethnic Balochs, as well as defending the community’s top activist, Mahrang Baloch.

Mazari and her husband have been the subject of multiple prosecutions in the past, but have never previously been convicted of wrongdoing.

“This pattern of prosecutions suggests an arbitrary use of the legal system as an instrument of harassment and intimidation in order to punish them for their work advocating for victims of alleged human rights violations,” the UN experts said.

“States must ensure lawyers are not subject to prosecution for any professional action, and that lawyers are not identified with their clients.”

The statement’s signatories included the special rapporteurs on human rights defenders, the independence of judges, freedom of opinion, freedom of association and on protecting rights while countering terrorism.

Uzbek President Mirziyoyev to Visit Pakistan

UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to report their findings. They do not speak in the name of the United Nations itself.

The UN experts have put their concerns to Islamabad.