Overview
- Police arrested Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha on Jan. 23 near Islamabad’s Serena underpass while they were being taken to district court, with eyewitnesses alleging force and phone seizures.
- An anti-terrorism court ordered a 14-day judicial remand in a separate case, after which a district judge conducted the tweets trial by video link as the couple alleged mistreatment and then boycotted the hearing.
- The court delivered convictions on Jan. 24; some outlets reported sentences totaling 17 years for each defendant, while others reported 10-year terms to run concurrently under PECA provisions.
- The charges stem from an NCCIA complaint filed in Aug. 2025 alleging content aligned with proscribed groups, with formal indictment in Oct. 2025 under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and related laws.
- Bar associations announced strikes and rights organizations including HRCP and Amnesty International condemned the arrests and prosecution, urging disclosure of custody conditions and adherence to due process.