Pakistan: Judicial persecution of human rights defenders Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the judicial harassment of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha in Pakistan. The human rights defenders have been targeted with a sustained campaign of legal reprisal stemming from tweets published by them which are critical of the conduct of the Pakistani state, particularly human rights violations by the military and intelligence agencies. Following the formal indictment on 30 October 2025, the human rights defenders have been denied basic due process rights including the right to fair trial, legal representation and face the risk of a lengthy jail sentence as reprisal for their work.
Imaan Zainab Mazari is a human rights lawyer who has represented countless victims of human rights violations, taking up cases of enforced disappearances, extra judicial killings, arbitrary arrest and custodial violations. Through her work she has guaranteed access to justice, redress for human rights defenders, victims and their families against the oppressive practices of state authorities, especially the military, police, and intelligence agencies. Due to her activism and advocacy, Imaan Zainab Mazaari has been repeatedly targeted by state authorities, including her arrest on baseless grounds in October 2024, and ongoing campaigns to smear and diminish her work.
Hadi Ali Chattha is a human rights lawyer and a criminal law specialist, who represents victims falsely accused of blasphemy. Hadi Ali Chattha has worked with the Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell, working representing victims sexual violence, rape and enforced disappearances. The human rights defender has also worked with Justice Project Pakistan in cases of death-row prisoners.
On 30 October 2025, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were formally indicted under the sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. The criminal case is based on a First Information Report filed by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCIA) in August 2025, linked to social media/tweets published by them which are critical of human rights violations committed by the Pakistan military. The legal reprisal, which carries a heavy penalty including imprisonment, is a direct reprisal against their freedom of expression, and advocacy against serious human rights violations including enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings, with particular reference to the context in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
The legal proceedings against Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have evidences of serious procedural irregularities and attempts to influence the outcome of the trial and their legal defence. To date the human rights defenders have failed to access legal representation of their choice and there is evidence of attempts to influence the state appointed legal defence counsel by the prosecutor’s office. On 29 October 2025, Hadi Ali Chattha was arrested in court, despite presenting himself to court in compliance with the summons. Trial dates, hearings have been set at short notice, without sufficient time to prepare a legal defence, evidence has been recorded ex-parte, and pressure exerted on the state appointed legal defence counsel to conduct the trial based on direction or pressure from the Prosecutor’s office. The final verdict in the trial is scheduled to be pronounced on 8 December 2025. The systemic denial of due process rights, and the nature of the allegations against the human rights defenders raises serious concern over the legitimacy of the trial process, and the risk of punitive measures against the defenders including a lengthy prison sentence.
The criminal case against Imaan Zainab Mazaari and Hadi Ali Chattha is part of a pattern of systemic reprisals against the human rights defenders aimed at punishing them for their work, and obstructing their ability to represent victims of state violations. Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha have been arrested on false charges including anti-terror violations, accused of anti-state conduct; and defamation against religious leaders with a history of failing false blasphemy charges.
Front Line Defenders is extremely concerned about the treatment of Imaan Zainab Mazaar and Hadi Ali Chattha and the campaign of targeted criminalisation of the human rights defenders. We believe that the legal cases are a reprisal for their human rights work and advocacy on behalf of victims and their families. The baseless allegations and the blatant denial of fair trial rights to the human rights defenders raises a serious risk to their safety including the possibility of imprisonment on false charges.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Pakistan to, immediately dismiss the baseless legal case against Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, ensure that they do not suffer further interrogations or harassment, and guarantee their right to freedom of speech and to carry out their human rights work free from reprisals and threats to their physical and mental safety.
