On October 29, 2026, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in prison each over an alleged 2024 security disruption involving England’s cricket team, drawing condemnation from Human Rights Watch.
Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict at Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, where the trial was held. The case concerns allegations that the couple removed road barriers along a route in Islamabad set aside for the visiting team and obstructed police. Both denied the charges.
The court imposed additional terms of one year and two years for obstructing and using force against public servants. It ordered the sentences to run at the same time, leaving each with a 10-year term. Relatives and the couple criticized the proceedings.
They said they were not allowed to use their chosen lawyer or access key documents. Their defense plans to challenge the ruling. Human Rights Watch called for the convictions to be overturned and the lawyers released.
It noted their work representing journalists and people facing charges including blasphemy, as well as victims of sexual violence and forced disappearances. The sentence followed a separate case over social media posts. Pakistan’s Supreme Court suspended the couple’s sentences in that case in September.
Police rearrested them after bail was granted.