Amnesty International condemns detention of Imaan Mazari, husband, citing due process

Amnesty International on Wednesday condemned the recent “arrest and continued detention” of lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali, calling it a “violation of their rights to due process.”

The couple was detained on Monday by Islamabad police on allegations of “creating a security risk” during the England cricket team’s visit by purportedly removing road barriers. A video shared on October 25 showed Imaan and Ali moving barriers to ease traffic flow.

Following their arrest, a case under terrorism charges was filed against them, leading to a three-day physical remand.

Amnesty issued a statement through its South Asia regional office, stating, “The detention of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali under anti-terrorism laws is a violation of their rights to due process and exemplifies the misuse of the Anti-Terrorism Act.” The organization argued that the terrorism charges were not in proportion to the alleged actions.

The police cited “interference in state duties” under Section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code, but the FIR also invoked Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which is applied for acts of terrorism.

Amnesty criticized the actions of the authorities as “excessive” and “not in line with Pakistan’s international legal obligations.” They stated that the couple was detained on October 28 but were only informed of the charges against them a day later.

The organization also pointed out Imaan’s earlier arrest tied to her participation in a rally organized by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement in August 2023.

They called for the immediate dismissal of what they labeled as “disproportionate charges,” especially those related to terrorism, highlighting the necessity for a fair trial in line with international human rights laws, which includes the right to access legal counsel.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), labeled the charges as vague and expressed its condemnation of the arrests while expressing both individuals are respected defenders of human rights who are facing unfair treatment in an environment where activism is increasingly under threat.