The United Nations Human Rights Office, along with several international human rights and legal organizations, has strongly condemned the conviction and sentencing of Pakistani human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatta. The groups raised concerns that Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) is being misused to stifle dissent.
Last week, a Pakistani court reportedly sentenced Imaan and her husband to a combined 17 years in prison and imposed fines of 36 million Pakistani rupees each, based on multiple charges linked to social media activity. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights described the ruling as “deeply disturbing,” citing worries over the fairness of the trial.
International human rights and legal organizations criticized the arrests and convictions as part of a broader pattern of harassment against the couple for their professional work and advocacy. They argued that the use of PECA in this case demonstrates how authorities are allegedly weaponizing the justice system to target legitimate human rights efforts and punish dissent.
