ISLAMABAD(National Times)- United Nations experts called for the immediate release of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, on Wednesday and expressed alarm over their re-arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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) in a case pertaining to social media posts. The convictions of the couple were widely condemned by lawyers and United Nations (UN) experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sept 17, the apex court suspended the couple\u2019s sentences in the controversial social media posts case and ordered their release on bail against surety bonds of Rs200,000 each. However, they were re-arrested on terrorism-related charges related to a separate older case only hours after the SC granted them bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A statement by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders said that the couple must be immediately released and \u201cunfounded criminal and terrorism charges against them\u201d should be dropped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInvoking an older case immediately after they were granted bail appears to be an attempt to use the criminal justice system as punishment for freedom of expression and human rights advocacy,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN experts said they had followed the proceedings against Mazari and Chattha since January, when they were first arrested. They were of the opinion that the proceedings seemed \u201cintended to punish and intimidate these lawyers\u201d and send a \u201cchilling message\u201d to the profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The experts condemned the use of \u201cvague and overbroad\u201d counter-terrorism provisions to hinder the lawyers\u2019 right to promote, protect, and defend human rights, according to the press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInternational standards provide that governments should protect lawyers from intimidation, harassment and improper interference, and from prosecution for carrying out recognised professional duties. The same standards also protect lawyers\u2019 freedom of expression,\u201d the statement cited them as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The experts said the couple \u201cshould already have adequate access to counsel of their choice, to their family, and to adequate and necessary medical care\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- United Nations experts called for the immediate release of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, on Wednesday and expressed alarm over their re-arrest. On January 24, an Islamabad sessions court sentenced Imaan and Hadi to a total of 17 years in jail on multiple charges under the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n