Who are Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha? Here's why Pakistan jailed the human rights lawyer couple for 10 years

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

Pakistan's Imaan Hazari and husband sentenced to prison for 10 years

The verdict, delivered on 29 October, 2026, relates to an incident in Islamabad in October 2024, when the couple allegedly removed road barriers placed along a 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 agencies, including journalists, activists and members of minority communities.

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

The couple have denied the charges and described themselves as prisoners of conscience, alleging that the proceedings are connected to their human rights work.

The latest sentence is also not their first encounter with the Pakistani 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 involving alleged human rights violations, enforced disappearances and the treatment of political activists.

She has represented people from different 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, a former Pakistani federal minister for human rights who served in Imran Khan's government. Her mother has also been a prominent political figure and a vocal critic of the treatment of political opponents in Pakistan.

Over the years, Imaan has become known for speaking openly about alleged abuses by the country's security establishment. Her public statements and legal work have frequently brought her into conflict with the authorities.

Her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, is also a lawyer and human rights advocate. The two have worked in the legal field and have faced criminal proceedings together.

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

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

The latest case dates back to October 2024, when England's cricket team was touring Pakistan. Security arrangements had been put in place in Islamabad, including roadblocks and barriers along routes designated for the visiting team.

According to the prosecution, Mazari and Chattha removed some of these barriers, obstructed police personnel and interfered with security arrangements. Authorities alleged that their actions put the visiting cricket team's security at risk and could have encouraged public unrest.

The couple disputed the prosecution's version of events. Mazari maintained that they had been stopped by police at a roadblock while she was trying to reach court to represent a client.

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

They pleaded not guilty when the trial began. The proceedings eventually took place inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, with the court recording statements from seven prosecution witnesses.

On 29 October, 2026, Anti-Terrorism Court judge Tahir Abbas Sipra sentenced both Mazari and Chattha to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each under Section 7(h) of Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Act.

They were also convicted under two provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code. The court handed them one-year sentences under Section 186 for obstructing public servants and two-year sentences under Section 353 for assaulting or using criminal force against public servants.

The additional sentences will run concurrently with the 10-year terms. The court also imposed fines under the different provisions.

In its reasoning, the court said the incident put the England cricket team's security at risk and indicated an intention to create a sense of terror. However, the judgement also described the actual incident as an apparently ordinary case involving the removal of a barrier.

What is the controversy surrounding the case?

The sentencing has triggered criticism from human rights organisations, lawyers and activists, who have questioned the severity of the punishment and the fairness of the proceedings.

Mazari and Chattha have maintained that they are being targeted because of their work as human rights lawyers and their criticism of Pakistan's powerful military establishment. In their defence, they argued that the case was intended to discourage people from speaking against alleged state excesses.

Their family has also raised concerns about the trial. Shireen Mazari described the proceedings as a sham trial, alleging that the couple were not allowed to defend themselves through their own lawyer and were not provided with important legal documents.

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

The authorities, however, have proceeded with the prosecution, maintaining that the case concerns the disruption of security arrangements during an international cricket team's visit.

Why were they previously sentenced to 17 years?

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

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 promoted an anti-state narrative and violated provisions of Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.

The convictions attracted criticism from international human rights organisations and United Nations experts, who raised concerns about freedom of expression and the use of cybercrime laws against government critics.

The couple challenged the convictions. On September 17, Pakistan's Supreme Court suspended their sentences and ordered their release while their appeals were pending before the Islamabad High Court.

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

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

For now, the couple remain at the centre of a legal and political controversy in Pakistan. Their supporters view the convictions as part of a wider pattern of pressure on lawyers and activists challenging state institutions, while the prosecution maintains that the case concerns a breach of security arrangements.