Reacting to the re-arrest of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha just hours after they had been granted bail by the Supreme Court yesterday, Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said:
“Imaan and Hadi’s re-arrest dispels any pretense that the charges against them are anything other than a politically motivated attempt to punish them for their human rights work. 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.
“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.”
Background
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 September 17 after nearly eight months of arbitrary detention. They were originally arrested on January 23 and sentenced the next day to 10 to 17 years of imprisonment under sections 9 (glorification of an offense), 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 September 17, 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 March 22, 2025. They are accused of chanting “anti-government slogans” and allegedly “blocking roads” under sections 188 (disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their official duty) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in the performance of official duties) of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
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