Mazari Chattha Appeal 10-Year Sentences in IHC
Human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have filed appeals in the Islamabad High Court against their 10-year sentences in the barriers removal case. The Mazari Chattha appeal also asks the court to suspend the sentences and release them on bail while the appeals are heard.
The appeals were filed on Friday by advocates Faisal Siddiqui, Riasat Ali Azad and Zainab Janjua. They argue that the trial court failed to meet the requirements of a fair trial, and they cite judicial precedents on the transparency of criminal proceedings.
According to the appeals, the trial was conducted at a jail and resembled a secret trial. The appellants say it violated Article 10 of the Constitution. They have asked the high court to set aside their convictions and sentences.
The sentences they are challenging
On October 29, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced Imaan and Hadi to 10 years in prison each in the case about the removal of security barriers. The sentences were handed down after a trial that ended at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
The court convicted them under three provisions of the law:
| Provision | Sentence | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Section 186, Pakistan Penal Code | One year simple imprisonment | Rs50,000 |
| Section 353, Pakistan Penal Code | Two years simple imprisonment | Rs50,000 |
| Section 7(h), Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 | 10 years rigorous imprisonment | Rs100,000 |
The 10-year term under the Anti-Terrorism Act runs as the main sentence. The two lawyers were arrested by the capital police in October 2024 on terrorism charges. The arrest followed a confrontation with traffic police, who had put up barricades to secure the movement of the visiting English cricket team. The couple were accused of interfering with government protocol.
How the case reached this point
The trial moved quickly once it began. The ATC framed charges against the two lawyers on October 7 and then recorded statements from all seven prosecution witnesses. The trial was later shifted to Adiala Jail, after disputes over the production of the accused in court and the defence lawyers’ access to their clients.
On October 26, Imaan and Hadi approached the Supreme Court against an IHC decision about their request to halt the proceedings. They argued that unless the trial was stopped at once, their pending application before the high court would become ineffective. They said the trial court had started proceedings in haste, without giving them enough time, and had recorded the statements of prosecution witnesses in a single day.
A day later, the ATC reserved its verdict after the trial concluded at Adiala Jail. Both Imaan and Hadi recorded their statements, and the state counsel completed final arguments. The verdict followed on October 29.
The two lawyers had also approached the IHC last month, seeking suspension of the trial over alleged procedural violations when the charges were framed. They said they had not been present when the charges were framed and had not received copies of the relevant documents. The IHC heard their pleas and said it would issue an order after hearing the respondents. It turned down their request for an interim order on the anti-terrorism provisions, but it issued notices on their separate plea seeking suspension of the trial.
A second case in the background
The barriers case is not the only case against the couple. In January, Imaan and Hadi were handed a combined 17-year sentence on multiple charges linked to controversial social media posts. The prosecution argued that the posts amounted to an anti-state narrative under cybercrime laws. The same month, they filed applications for suspension of their sentences.
They were rearrested on September 17, shortly after the Supreme Court granted them bail and suspended those sentences, and produced before an Islamabad ATC in the Kohsar Police Station case.
On November 3, the same court granted them bail in the road blockade and police clash case. That bail covers the Kohsar case only, and it is separate from the 10-year barriers sentence. The sentences in the barriers case are the ones now under appeal.
The case has drawn attention from international bodies. United Nations experts have demanded the immediate release of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Chattha. The IHC has also been dealing with a separate matter about the mechanism for jail visits.
What happens next in the Mazari Chattha appeal
The IHC will now fix the appeals for hearing, along with the applications seeking suspension of the sentences and release on bail. No date has been announced yet. If the court suspends the sentences, the couple could be released while the appeals are pending. If it refuses, they will remain in jail until the appeals are decided.
What are Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha appealing?
They are appealing the 10-year sentences handed down by an anti-terrorism court on October 29 in the barriers removal case. They argue the jail trial violated fair trial requirements and Article 10 of the Constitution.
What sentences did the trial court impose?
The court imposed one year under Section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code, two years under Section 353, and 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 7(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, with fines of Rs50,000, Rs50,000 and Rs100,000.
Were they not granted bail on November 3?
Yes, but that bail was in a separate case about a road blockade and a clash with police, registered at Kohsar Police Station. It does not cover the 10-year sentences in the barriers case.
What is the other case against them?
In January, they received a combined 17-year sentence over social media posts that the prosecution said amounted to an anti-state narrative. The Supreme Court later granted bail and suspended those sentences, but they were rearrested on September 17 in the Kohsar case.
