Pakistan: Re-arrest of Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha is a terrible injustice

Summary

Their case demonstrates once again the authorities’ willingness to weaponize the legal system against critical voices. “These latest charges, brought against them for simply attending a peaceful protest, are not only absurd but an insult to their lifelong commitment to human rights. Their case demonstrates once again the authorities’ willingness to weaponize the legal system against critical voices “The Pakistani authorities must stop misusing the justice system to target Imaan and Hadi.

They must be released immediately and unconditionally, with no further charges to prolong their detention. Imaan and Hadi should be free to meet their friends and family and to do the work they love – representing victims of human rights violations. Human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha were granted bail and their sentences were suspended by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 17 September after nearly eight months of arbitrary detention.

They were originally arrested on 23 January and sentenced the next day to 10 to 17 years of imprisonment under sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyber terrorism), and 26-A (false or fake information) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act simply for social media posts critical of the authorities. On 17 September, at around 9:30pm, while their paperwork for release was being processed, Imaan and Hadi were taken into police custody inside Adila Jail, Rawalpindi and produced before an anti-terrorism judge, who ordered their remand back to Adila Jail for 14 days. The case against them was registered on 22 March 2025.

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