Human rights activist Imaan Mazari, husband ‘arrested’ in Islamabad. Imam Mazari-Hazir is a human rights activist and lawyer in Pakistan. She is known for her vocal stance on various social issues, including civil liberties, women’s rights, and government accountability. She is the daughter of Shireen Mazari, a well-known politician and former Federal Minister for Human Rights.
Abdul hadi chatta iman’s husband is also a lawyer and influential figure in the legal and activist communities.
Amnesty International on Wednesday said the recent “arrest and continued detention” of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali in a terrorism case was a “violation of their rights to due process”.
Recently, Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Abdul Hadi Ali Chatta, were arrested on Wednesday 30 October following an incident in Islamabad where they attempted to ‘’remove roadblocks set up for the visiting England cricket team’’. These roadblocks were established as part of security measures to protect the team during their visit, which is standard protocol for international guests in Pakistan.
A video, shared on social media on October 25, purportedly showed Imaan and Ali moving road barriers to clear the path for traffic.
Islamabad court has approved the three-day physical remand of lawyer Iman Mazari and her husband lawyer Hadi Ali Chatha. Arrested in the case of corruption in the government, Iman Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chatha were presented in the court of Abul Hasna Zulkarnain.
Lawyer Safai said that the person with whom Hadi Ali had a scuffle was not in uniform. According to Prosecutor Raja Naveed, Iman Mazari, and Hadi Ali removed the barriers installed for the security of the England team. Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali were stopped but he continued breaking SETI barriers illegally
In a statement posted on the X account of its South Asia regional office, Amnesty said: “The arrest and continued detention of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali under anti-terrorism laws is a violation of their rights to due process and yet another example of the abuse of the Anti-Terrorism Act.”
According to the police statement mentioned “interference in state duties” — an offense charged under Section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code — the first information report (FIR) against the couple also invoked Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the ATA.
“Such action by the authorities is excessive, disproportionate, and in violation of Pakistan’s obligations under international law,” Amnesty said.
Furthermore, the FIR — registered on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Tanveer Athar — also included PPC’s Sections 506(ii) (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy).
It stated that a route was fixed for international teams’ — which enjoy the status of a state guest so as to protect them against any terror attacks — to commute at Faisal Avenue when Imaan removed the barriers and provoked the people there.
The suspect, it adds, called for the barrier to be removed and started shouting when another lawyer — her husband Hadi, — also arrived at the scene and started hurling threats to the police officers.
Imaan’s husband abused and slapped a policeman, according to the FIR.
It went on to claim that Imaan and Ali were detained on October 28 but informed of the charges 24 hours after their arrest.
Imaan was also “previously arrested and charged for her participation and speech” at a rally by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement in August 2023, the statement noted. https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1868185
The organization called for the “disproportionate charges, particularly related to terrorism”, to be dropped immediately. It further asserted that the “authorities must ensure their right to a fair trial under international human rights law, including unrestricted access to legal counsel”.
Previously, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had condemned the couple’s arrest, saying it was made on “vague charges”.
“Both are committed, well-respected human rights defenders, whose arbitrary arrest is symptomatic of the rapidly shrinking space for activists in Pakistan,” it had said.