Pakistani human rights lawyers jailed for 17 years over anti-state posts. Social media reacts

Pakistan’s minister welcomed the verdict, citing cyber law convictions. (Image credit: X)

• Pakistani court sentences Zainab Mazari and husband to 17 years for social media posts
• Rights groups condemned arrests, demanded couple's immediate release.
• Couple accused of posting anti-state content, aligning with banned groups

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A Pakistani court sentenced human rights lawyer Zainab Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, to 17 years in jail on Saturday, over an alleged anti-state social media post.

A day after their arrest in Islamabad, Judge Afzal Majoka delivered the verdict. The couple appeared briefly via video link but boycotted the proceedings, leading the court to conclude the trial. Their family and friends criticised the ruling, calling it politically motivated.

According to the court, Mazari had posted several tweets in recent years that were described as portraying the agenda of the banned Baloch separatist group and the Pakistani Taliban.

Following the complaint filed in August 2025 with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, accusing the couple of maligning the state and its security through social media. The couple was indicted in October 2025, but repeatedly declined to appear in court.

The judge noted in his verdict that Mazari “consistently disseminated highly offensive, misleading and anti-state content on social media,” allegedly with the “active connivance” of her husband.

The prosecution further accused Mazari of spreading a “narrative that aligned with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations and individuals.”

Human rights groups in Pakistan and internationally condemned the arrest of Zainab Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha and urged for immediate release.

According to Amnesty International, the couple’s detention marked “the latest escalation in a sustained campaign of judicial harassment and intimidation by the Pakistani authorities.”

It added that the couple was arrested while heading to a court hearing. Eyewitnesses have claimed that law enforcement officials used excessive force. Authorities did not provide reasons for the arrest, prompting serious concerns about the couple’s safety.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar applauded the verdict, writing on X, “As you sow, so shall you reap!”, adding that the couple were sentenced under the cyber laws

The news quickly spread on social media, with many questioning the fairness of the verdict. One X user said, "Ridiculous! Court orders mean nothing in Pakistan. Unbelievable" Another user wrote, "I had not seen such a brave lady as you are. Stay strong. People of Pakistan knows what's going around. Anyone who will speak out against injustice and dirty politics they have to suffer. We can only pray for you." A third user commented, "All this for what? So that small men can satisfy their ego having arrested you?! Shame."