District and Sessions Courts Islamabad pronounced 17-year imprisonment to each rights activists and lawyers Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chatha in controversial tweets case on Saturday.

Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha boycotted the court proceedings today. Islamabad High Court had ordered Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha to cross-examine witnesses till today. 

The court sentenced Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali to a total of 17 years in prison and a fine of Rs 36 million. Both accused were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50 lakh under Section 9 of the  Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

According to the court decision, under Section 10, they were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 30 million, while under Section 26A, they were sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 lakh.

Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha were produced through video link due to judicial remand in other case. Barrister Fahad, Usman Rana Advocate, Barrister Mansoor Azam appeared in court on behalf of the prosecution. 

State Counsel Taimur Janjua appeared in court on behalf of Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha. A total of 5 witnesses were presented by the prosecution in the case. A challan consisting of more than 30 pages was presented by the prosecution in the court. 

Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali were accused of spreading the agenda of PTM and other banned organizations. The accused were also accused of spreading material against state institutions. The prosecution also provided various tweets of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha as evidence in the challan. The prosecution also presented Iman Mazari's anti-state speech in the court.

Earlier, the trial proceedings in the controversial tweets case against lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse Hadi Ali Chattha were disrupted on Saturday when the couple boycotted the hearing after a court reserved its order. 

The lawyer couple, who were arrested in a separate case on Friday and sent on judicial remand, briefly appeared via video link before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka in Islamabad.

At the start of the hearing, the court sought compliance with earlier directions regarding the production of the accused for cross-examination, which the court had declared as the final opportunity in light of orders issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Citing security concerns, police submitted a report stating that it would take five to six hours to transport the accused from jail and requested permission for them to appear through a video link. The court accepted the request and directed that Imaan and Hadi be presented via video link.

However, technical issues, including internet connectivity problems at Adiala jail, delayed the proceedings. After a brief adjournment, Imaan and Hadi finally appeared before the court via video link.

When the judge asked whether the defence wished to begin cross-examination, Imaan questioned whether media representatives were present in the courtroom.

She then alleged that both she and her husband were being subjected to mistreatment in custody, adding that they were not being provided food or water. 

Imaan addressed the judge directly, saying, “You are doing your job … everything is happening because of you.”

The incarcerated lawyer then announced that both she and her husband were boycotting the proceedings.

In response, Judge Majoka asked whether they no longer wished to participate in the trial and advised them to wait for the verdict. Despite this, both the accused left their seats before the conclusion of the hearing, effectively refusing to take part in further proceedings.

Following the boycott, the judge directed the court staff to record the entire proceedings and place them on the judicial record. Defence counsel Ashraf Gujjar later moved a request for summoning a person relevant to the case. The judge noted that the individual had already appeared online and stated that the entire record would be reviewed.

Subsequently, Judge Majoka announced that he would pass a written order on the defence request and reserved the decision, while the trial remained pending.

Imaan and Hadi’s arrest on Friday prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians, and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)