10-Year Sentences Handed to Pakistani Lawyer Couple Over Cricket Road Incident

Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, are now facing 10 years in prison after an antiterrorism court in Pakistan found them guilty of terrorism related to a cricket tour. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict on Thursday from inside Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, where the couple has been held.

The conviction stems from an incident in October 2024 in Islamabad. The court stated that the couple put the security of the England and Wales Cricket team at risk by removing road barriers along the designated route for the touring squad. The judge wrote that this action clearly showed the accused intended to create a sense of terror. However, the ruling acknowledged that the security breach was a common type of incident involving the removal of a barrier.

The couple was indicted on October 7 of this year, with charges including obstructing police and inciting public interest. They pleaded not guilty. In statements shared with Reuters, Mazari and Chattha described themselves as prisoners of conscience. They argued they were being targeted for their human rights work and noted in their defense that they were being made an example to cement a chilling effect against those who stand against tyranny and oppression.

Shireen Mazari, Imaan Mazari’s mother and former human rights minister under Imran Khan, criticized the proceedings. She called it a sham trial without any due process. Mazari told Reuters that the couple were not permitted to defend themselves through their own lawyer and were not provided with key legal documents. The defense plans to file a petition against the verdict in the Supreme Court.

Amnesty International labeled the convictions an indictment of Pakistan’s justice system. Yasmine Ahmend from the group said the case was a test of the judiciary’s ability to uphold justice and fair trial rights, which she said it failed miserably. She added that anti-terrorism charges are being used to punish the couple for their advocacy. Babu Ram Pant, the organization’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, stated that the re-arrest dispels any pretence that the charges are not politically motivated attempts to punish critical voices.

The couple has been in custody since January 23 in a separate case over social media posts. A lower court sentenced them to 17 years each under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act the following day. Although the Supreme Court suspended those sentences, police re-arrested them the same day for the security breach case. Pakistan’s law minister, Azam Nazeer Tarar, has repeatedly asserted that the country’s judiciary is independent.