Pakistani human rights lawyers sentenced to 17 years over social media posts

On January 24, 2026, a Pakistani court sentenced human rights lawyers Zainab Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha to 17 years in prison for alleged anti-state social media activity. The court ruled that Mazari's posts supported banned groups like the Baloch separatists and Pakistani Taliban, violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The couple was arrested in Islamabad a day before the verdict and refused to appear in court, which the judge criticized as obstructing justice. The case originated from an August 2025 cybercrime complaint accusing them of spreading disinformation and maligning state institutions. Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, condemned the ruling as part of a growing crackdown on dissent and judicial harassment in Pakistan. The couple had been active in defending political prisoners and journalists, often clashing with state authorities. Mazari, daughter of former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, denied the charges, and her family called the verdict illegal. Pakistan’s government defended the sentence, citing its alignment with recently enacted cybercrime laws.