A Pakistani court has sentenced human rights defenders and lawyers Zainab Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chatta, to 17 years in prison each for social media posts that authorities say were directed against the state and its security institutions, the Associated Press reported.
The verdict was handed down today by Judge Afzal Majoka in Islamabad, a day after the couple's arrest.
The couple appeared briefly in the courtroom via video link, but they generally boycotted the trial, and the judge decided to close the case and announce the sentences. The court ruling said Mazari had been posting a series of messages on social media for several years, promoting the agenda of banned groups, including a separatist organization from Balochistan province and the Pakistani Taliban. Prosecutors accused Mazari of spreading “anti-state” and “misleading” content, saying her husband had actively helped her.
The case began after a complaint filed in August 2025 with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, accusing the couple of using social media to malign the state and its security institutions. The charges against the two human rights defenders were formally filed in October 2025, but they have repeatedly refused to appear in court. Both deny any wrongdoing.
The arrests and convictions were strongly condemned by local and international human rights groups. “Amnesty International“ described the case as part of a wider campaign to prosecute and intimidate government critics and expressed concerns about due process and the use of force during the couple's arrest.
Mazari and Chatta are known for representing journalists, political figures and activists who they say have been detained without due process, the AP said. Mazari is also the daughter of former Human Rights Minister Shirin Mazari.