Who are Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha? Here's Why Pakistan Jailed Couple of Human Rights Lawyers for 10 Years

Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan.

Pakistani Imaan Hazari and his husband sentenced to 10 years in prison

The verdict, handed down on 29 October 2026, relates to an incident in Islamabad in October 2024 where the couple allegedly removed road barriers placed along the route secured for the visiting England cricket team.

The case has attracted considerable attention because Mazari is a prominent human rights lawyer known for representing people who have faced alleged abuses by state authorities, including journalists, activists and members of minority communities.

She has also been a vocal critic of Pakistan’s military establishment and its human rights record.

The couple denied the charges and described themselves as prisoners of conscience, saying the proceedings were related to their human rights work.

The latest verdict is also not their first encounter with Pakistan’s justice system this year. They were previously sentenced to 17 years in a separate case involving social media posts before Pakistan’s Supreme Court suspended those sentences in September.

Who is Imaan Mazari?

Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir is a Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist who has built a public profile through her work on cases of alleged human rights abuses, enforced disappearances and the treatment of political activists.

She represented people from various sections of Pakistani society, including journalists, political activists and families seeking information about relatives allegedly detained by security agencies. Her work has also focused on the rights of religious and ethnic minorities, women’s rights and freedom of expression.

Mazari is the daughter of Shireen Mazari, Pakistan’s former federal human rights minister who served in Imran Khan’s government. Her mother was also a prominent political figure and a vocal critic of the treatment of political opponents in Pakistan.

Over the years, Imaan has become known for being outspoken about alleged abuses by the country’s security establishment. Her public statements and legal work often brought her into conflict with the authorities.

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Her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, is also a lawyer and human rights defender. Both worked in the legal field and faced criminal proceedings together.

Their work has received international recognition. In 2026, Mazari and Chattha were jointly awarded the Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize for their work to protect human rights and the rule of law.

Why were Imaan Mazari and her husband imprisoned for 10 years?

The latest case dates back to October 2024 when the England cricket team was touring Pakistan. Security measures were put in place in Islamabad, including roadblocks and barriers along the routes intended for the visiting team.

According to the indictment, Mazari and Chattha removed some of these barriers, obstructed police personnel and interfered with security measures. The authorities claimed that their actions threatened the security of the visiting cricket team and could cause public unrest.

The couple disputed the prosecution’s version of events. Mazari claimed they were stopped by police at a roadblock while trying to get to court to represent a client.

A case was registered at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad in March 2025. The pair were subsequently charged under the provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act.

They pleaded not guilty when the trial began. The trial eventually took place at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, with the court recording the statements of seven prosecution witnesses.

On 29 October 2026, Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra sentenced both Mazari and Chatth to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment each under Section 7(b). (h) the Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Act.

They were also convicted under two provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code. The court imposed one-year sentences under Section 186 for obstructing civil servants and two-year sentences under Section 353 for causing bodily harm or using criminal force against a public servant.

Other sentences will run concurrently with the ten-year terms. The court also imposed fines under various provisions.

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In its reasoning, the court said the incident threatened the security of the England cricket team and indicated an intention to create a sense of terror. However, the ruling also characterized the actual incident as a seemingly routine case of the removal of the restraint.

What is the controversy surrounding the case?

The sentencing drew criticism from human rights organizations, lawyers and activists who questioned the severity of the sentence and the fairness of the proceedings.

Mazari and Chattha say they are being targeted for their work as human rights lawyers and their criticism of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment. In their defense, they argued that the case was intended to deter people from speaking out against alleged state excesses.

Their family also expressed concern about the process. Shireen Mazari described the proceedings as a sham trial and claimed that the couple were not allowed to represent themselves through their own lawyer and were not provided with important legal documents.

Amnesty International condemned the convictions, claiming that anti-terrorism measures were used to punish the couple for their human rights advocacy. The organization also raised concerns about their right to a fair trial.

However, the authorities continued to prosecute, claiming that the case involved a breach of security measures during the visit of an international cricket team.

Why were they previously sentenced to 17 years?

An important part of the dispute is that the 10-year sentence is separate from another criminal case involving the pair.

In January 2026, Mazari and Chattha were sentenced to 17 years in prison each in a case involving their social media posts. The prosecution alleged that their online statements propagated an anti-state narrative and violated provisions of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.

The conviction drew criticism from international human rights organizations and UN experts, who raised concerns about freedom of expression and the use of cybercrime laws against government critics.

The couple contested the conviction. On 17 September, the Supreme Court of Pakistan suspended their sentences and ordered their release while their appeals were heard in the Islamabad High Court.

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However, their release was short-lived. Islamabad police arrested them again within hours, this time in connection with a separate cricket security breach case.

The October 29 verdict has now resulted in an additional 10-year prison sentence for each of them.

For now, the couple remains at the center of a legal and political dispute in Pakistan. Their supporters see the convictions as part of a wider pattern of pressure on lawyers and activists who challenge state institutions, while the prosecution says the case involves security breaches.