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UN Experts Condemn Pakistan Convictions of Lawyers Over Social Media Posts
Five UN experts have expressed alarm over the 17-year prison sentences for lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatta, calling it a “chilling attack on freedom of expression and the work of human rights defenders” in Pakistan.
ND
by News Desk
2026-02-04
UN Experts Condemn Pakistan Convictions of Lawyers Over Social Media Posts

Five United Nations (UN) experts on Wednesday voiced serious concerns over the conviction and sentencing of Pakistani lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chatta, who were handed a combined 17-year prison term for controversial social media posts.

In a joint statement, UN special rapporteurs Margaret Satterthwaite, Ben Saul, Mary Lawlor, Irene Khan, and Gina Romero said the couple was convicted on multiple criminal charges “for simply exercising rights guaranteed by international human rights law”.

“Lawyers, like other individuals, are entitled to freedom of expression. The exercise of this right should never be conflated with criminal conduct, especially not terrorism,” the experts said, highlighting concerns over the vague definitions of terrorism-related offences under Pakistan’s counter-terrorism laws.

They warned that the conviction could have a chilling effect on civil society and the legal profession, stating: “Doing so risks undermining and criminalising the work of lawyers and human rights defenders across Pakistan.”

According to the UN statement, the couple had faced a pattern of legal harassment, with 10 criminal complaints filed against them since 2022, none of which had previously resulted in convictions. “This pattern suggests an arbitrary use of the legal system as an instrument of harassment and intimidation to punish them for advocating for victims of alleged human rights violations,” the experts said.

The UN experts also stressed that international standards require procedural guarantees for anyone facing criminal charges, noting that these safeguards “appear to have been undermined in this case,” which “seriously threatens the fairness of the trial and conviction.”

UN special rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to report findings but do not speak on behalf of the UN. The experts said they have formally contacted Pakistan regarding their concerns.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and partner organisations had earlier condemned the couple’s arrest and conviction, calling it “arbitrary” and demanding their release. The United Nations Human Rights Office also described the sentencing as “deeply disturbing” amid fair trial concerns.

In addition, the European Union’s (EU) spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Anouar El Anouni, expressed concerns over the convictions, stating that punishing the couple for social media activity undermines freedom of expression and the independence of lawyers—key democratic principles and part of Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.
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FreedomOfExpression

HumanRights

PakistanLawyers

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