Overview
- Seven men — Adil Raja, Syed Akbar Hussain, Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir, Shaheen Sehbai, Haider Raza Mehdi and Moeed Pirzada — were convicted over online activity tied to the May 9, 2023 unrest after Imran Khan’s arrest.
- Each was sentenced to two life terms under Pakistan Penal Code provisions including waging or attempting to wage war and criminal conspiracy, plus additional prison terms totaling 35 years and fines under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
- The trials were held without the defendants present, with 24 prosecution witnesses and a court-appointed defense lawyer; most of the convicted are believed to be living abroad.
- The court orders notify a seven-day window to appeal and state that sentences require confirmation by the Islamabad High Court, with police directed to detain the men if they re-enter Pakistan.
- Press-freedom groups have previously criticized these prosecutions as retaliation against critical reporting, while authorities characterize the cases as enforcement against incitement targeting state institutions.