Pakistan: Further Information: Release convicted human rights lawyers: Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatta

Summary

Imaan Mazari-Hazir has experienced serious health concerns in detention for which she needed urgent healthcare and which the authorities repeatedly denied her access to. The Pakistani authorities must quash their conviction and immediately and unconditionally release them. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, I am writing to bring your attention to the continued unlawful imprisonment of human rights defenders and prominent lawyers, Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha.

Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha were arrested on 23 January and on 24 January sentenced to a 10 to 17 years' imprisonment for social media posts under provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 related to “cyber terrorism” and “fake and false information”. While the ir trial raised significant fair trial concerns, Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha’s applications to suspend their prison sentence and appeal against their conviction have also not been heard by the higher courts, particularly the Islamabad High Court. In light of the courts’ failure to hear their appeals within the two-week time frame stipulated by the Supreme Court, there is concern that the authorities are using delay tactics to prolong their arbitrary detention, which could also constitute a violation of their right to appeal.

Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha are being imprisoned as retaliation for their work as human rights lawyers and exercising their right to freedom of expression to extend solidarity to activists and movements within Pakistan. Their imprisonment under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act continues to raise serious questions about the misuse of the law to silence dissent inside the country and runs contrary to Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.

Imaan and Hadi have been subjected to arbitrary detention and criminal charges several times for their human rights work in recent years. Imaan Mazari is a 3 3-year-old human rights lawyer from Islamabad and Hadi Ali Chattha is a 33 -year-old human rights lawyer from Multan. Imaan and Hadi have been representing victims of state oppression for years, particularly journalis ts targeted under Pakistan’s anti -terrorism and cybercrime laws, victims accused under the blasphemy laws and victims of enforced disappearances.

Since the passage of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act in 2016, scores of journalists, human rights defenders and members and supporters of opposition parties have been detained and harassed under the law. Amnesty International has also documented a system of surveillance and censorship in Pakistan, used to target journalists and human rights lawyers.

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