The Supreme Court of Pakistan suspended the sentences of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse Hadi Ali Chattha, who were convicted to a total of 17 years in jail for social media posts. The court ordered their release on bail pending the Islamabad High Court’s final verdict. This development follows criticism from lawyers and UN experts regarding the convictions handed down by an Islamabad sessions court on January 24, after the couple was arrested on January 23 for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHCBA president.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday suspended the sentences of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse Hadi Ali Chattha, who were sentenced to a total of 17 years in jail by an Islamabad sessions court on January 24. The couple was charged under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) for controversial social media posts. Initially, the Islamabad High Court had refused to suspend their sentences, but after a two-judge SC bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim took up their appeals, the court granted them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 pending the IHC’s final verdict. The release was ordered to preserve the couple's honor as lawyers, though the judge emphasized the importance of observing court decorum.
Written for “Saudi Social Media Case Decision” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 15511 · logged 2026-09-17
The Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the sentences of human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse, Hadi Ali Chattha, in the controversial social media posts case.
asserted
Court → suspend → case
The development came as a two-judge SC bench, comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, took up the couple’s appeals against the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) refusal in February to suspend the sentences.
asserted
bench → come → sentences
On January 24, an Islamabad sessions court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in jail on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).
asserted
court → sentence → Act
The convictions of the couple, who had already been jailed the day before in a separate case, were widely condemned by lawyers and United Nations (UN) experts.
asserted
who → jail → lawyers
On Thursday, the SC ordered the couple’s release after granting them bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000.
asserted
SC → order → Rs200,000
It ordered their release on bail pending the IHC’s final verdict.
asserted
It → order → verdict
“Both are lawyers and we are keeping their honour,” observed Justice Afghan, but also asked senior counsel Faisal Siddiqui, the couple’s lawyer, to tell the appellants to observe the court’s decorum.
“There is a difference between a lawyer and an ordinary person,” the judge observed.
asserted
judge → keep → lawyer
Siddiqui argued that the SC had issued its first order on May 12 in which the IHC was asked to decide the applicants’ petition for suspension of sentence as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of two weeks.
uncertain
IHC → argue → weeks
The counsel also read out the order sheets from various IHC hearings.
asserted
counsel → read → hearings
During the hearing, the court directed Additional Attorney General Rana Asadullah Khan, who was standing at the rostrum, to take a seat, adding that the court will hear Siddiqui first.
asserted
court → direct → Siddiqui
The case
Imaan and Hadi have been in jail since their arrest on January 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association (IHCBA) president.
uncertain
Imaan → register → president
The arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.
asserted
who → prompt → trial
Just a day later, a sessions court convicted Imaan and Hadi in the social media posts case.
asserted
court → convict → case
It sentenced the duo to 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 10 (cyber terrorism), five years’ imprisonment under Section 9 (glorification of an offence) and two years’ imprisonment under Section 26-A (false and fake information) of Peca.
asserted
It → sentence → Peca
The case stemmed from a complaint filed on Aug 12, 2025 by the assistant director (investigating officer) at the NCCIA Islamabad, before the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cybercrime Reporting Centre.
asserted
case → stem → Centre
The complaint accused Imaan of disseminating and “propagating narratives that align with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations”, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her posts.
asserted
husband → accuse → posts
The first information report (FIR) in the case alleged that the two held security forces responsible for cases of missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
asserted
forces → allege → Pakhtunkhwa
It also stated that they had portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against proscribed groups, including the banned outfits Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
asserted
they → state → outfits
Judge Majoka had indicted Imaan and Hadi in the case on Oct 30, 2025 and issued arrest warrants for the couple on Nov 5, 2025.
asserted
Majoka → indict → Nov
The judge then reissued arrest warrants for them in January after repeated non-appearances.
asserted
judge → reissue → appearances
The Aporia
