Pakistan Gives Rights Lawyers Who Defended Blasphemy Accused 10 Years in Cricket Convoy Case
Hadi Ali Chattha has defended Christians and Muslims accused of blasphemy. He and his wife, Imaan Mazari-Hazir, say the terrorism conviction punishes their work.
See where this is ›RAWALPINDI, Pakistan —
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan sentenced human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each on Oct. 29, Christian Daily International and Al Jazeera reported. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict after a trial held inside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The couple have taken up several high-profile blasphemy cases involving religious minorities, according to Christian Daily International, and Chattha has represented both Muslim and Christian defendants under those laws. The outlet said they challenged accusations they described as driven by personal enmity, property disputes or financial interests. The couple say the prosecution is meant to punish their work for marginalized communities, including Christians.
See where this is ›Prosecutors alleged that on Oct. 25, 2024, during England's cricket tour of Pakistan, the two removed road barriers on the team's security route and obstructed police at Zero Point, a major junction in Islamabad. The court found they acted to undermine security and cited the 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore. Al Jazeera reported the judge wrote that the case “clearly shows the intentions and objective of the accused to create a sense of terror.”
Each was also fined 100,000 rupees, about $360, under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. Lesser sentences under the Pakistan Penal Code run at the same time, and the two were acquitted of intimidation, conspiracy and rioting charges, Christian Daily International reported. Seven prosecution witnesses testified.
The couple denied the charges and called themselves prisoners of conscience. “We are being made an example to further cement the chilling effect,” Mazari-Hazir said. They appeared in court behind a cage-like structure, which she said kept them from communicating effectively with their lawyers and the judge. The court appointed state counsel Atif Mehmood. Her mother, Shireen Mazari, a former federal human rights minister under Imran Khan, called it a “sham trial without any due process” and said the couple were not allowed to defend themselves through their own lawyer.
Yasmine Ahmed, senior director for regional human rights impact at Amnesty International, said, “These convictions are an indictment of Pakistan's justice system.” Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has repeatedly said the judiciary is independent, Al Jazeera reported.
The couple have been in custody since Jan. 23, when they were arrested in a separate case. A lower court then sentenced them to up to 17 years under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act over social media posts critical of Pakistan's military. The Supreme Court suspended those sentences on Sept. 17, but police arrested them again the same day in the convoy case.
What we don't know yet: Whether the Supreme Court petition the defense plans, reported by Al Jazeera, has been filed, and whether any current blasphemy defendants will lose their lawyer because of the sentences. Neither report names particular Christian clients.
