Jailing of Pakistani rights lawyers marks ‘new wave' in dissent crackdown, says former minister 

The former federal human rights minister for Pakistan has said her daughter’s prison sentence for social media posts has had a "chilling effect" on freedom of speech in the country.  

Imaan Mazari, 32, and Hadi Ali Chattha, 33, were sentenced to 17 years in prison for posts they made on X that expressed solidarity with Baloch and Pashtun activists who had criticised Pakistan’s military.  

Although "in good spirits", Mazari's mother and former minister Dr Shireen Mazari said, she had been denied access to a lawyer and her family for more than a week after her arrest.   

The two lawyers were also denied the opportunity to bring evidence and cross-examine witnesses, according to Amnesty International, who added that the whole trial was being carried out with "unusual haste".  

The elder Mazari said the case was "obviously all pre-fabricated" and "what has happened to them has sent a message" as part of an intensification of the crackdown on criticism within the country. 

Arrested on the 21 January, the married couple were sentenced to five years for "glorification of an offence", ten years for "cyberterrorism", two years for spreading "fake and false information" under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). 

On the day of her sentencing, Imaan Mazari refused to appear in court citing mistreatment in detention. 

She told the court by video link that she had been denied food and water. 

The two lawyers are not the first critical voices to be targeted under PECA legislation, which was introduced in 2016.  

Since the start of 2025 alone, at least nine journalists have been targeted with PECA, in what rights groups have called an attempt to stifle legitimate criticism. 

Mazari and Chattha's sentencing come as fears of the Pakistan government further weaponising the courts and justice processes deepen. 

Former government adviser Shahzad Akbar, a critic of Pakistan's government in exile in the UK, told Middle East Eye that the sentence for manslaughter can be around "14 years, yet a tweet and the peaceful criticism of human rights violations result in 17-year sentence". 

He added that the case "has further underscored the erosion of the rule of law" in Pakistan. 

Authorities have already made changes that have been seen to undermine judicial independence and insulate the president and heads of the armed forces from accountability.  

Among other changes, the government introduced the 26th and 27th amendments in October 2024 and January this year respectively. 

'Imaan Mazari’s case has further underscored the erosion of the rule of law' 

- Shahzad Akbar, former 
government adviser 

The 26th amendment allowed a parliamentary committee to select the Supreme Court's chief justice. 

A UN Human Rights Committee said the amendment was an attack "on the independence of the judiciary and on the process of judicial appointments". 

Introduced at the start of this year, the 27th amendment added members of parliament to the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, making actual judicial members a minority on the commission. 

The 27th amendment also gave the first chief of defence forces, Asim Munir, lifelong immunity from prosecution and extended his powers to include control of the navy and air force as well as the army. 

Amnesty International said the change posed "a grave threat to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Pakistan". 

The rights group has also condemned the sentencing saying the lawyers "are being targeted solely for their advocacy and work defending human rights". 

Mazari is expected to appeal her conviction.