A sessions court on Saturday sentenced lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse, Hadi Ali Chattha, to a total of 17 years in prison on multiple charges in a case about controversial social media posts, a day after they were arrested in Islamabad.

According to the written order, Imaan “consistently disseminated highly offensive, misleading and anti-state contents on social media”, with the “active connivance” of Hadi.

The order also observed that Imaan’s tweets made between 2021 and 2025 from “portrayed the agenda” of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Lawyers, activists and politicians expressed their outrage over the sentencing. Here are some of the reactions.

‘Completely illegal’

Digital rights expert and activist Usama Khilji said, “Completely illegal, unconstitutional and baseless order without any roots in due process, especially as the transfer application is pending in the high court.”

He said that the sentencing of human rights lawyers for “tweets rights violations makes Pakistan a laughing stock”.

‘Judge has no jurisdiction’

Lawyer Jibran Nasir stated that Judge Afzal Majoka “has no jurisdiction” to convict Imaan and Hadi, as he was barred from doing so because of an application to transfer the couple’s case from his court.

“We filed this transfer application on behalf of Imaan and Hadi on December 5, 2025, seeking transfer of the trial from the court of Afzal Majoka. The application is yet to be heard and decided,” he wrote.

“It does not matter what the findings of the judge are. It does not matter what the merits or demerits of the evidence are. Nothing matters,” he added.

“This act of Judge Afzal Majoka is coram non judice. It is not a judicial order, it is a nullity, not even worth the paper it is written on.”

Nasir added that the trial “proved to be a sham” and irreparably prejudiced the couple’s right to a fair trial. He argued that, thus, it should be considered vitiated”.

“Whether the judge acted out of contempt, incompetence or under duress, the express and mandatory command of law was ignored,” he wrote.

“No high court or Supreme Court can defend this even after the 27th Amendment. Imaan and Hadi have again won in exposing the regime,” he said.

‘Blot on democracy and justice’

The Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) condemned the “harsh” sentences following “unfair and non-independent trials”.

“This decision is contrary to the fundamental principles of judicial independence and is a manifestation of a fearful, pressured judicial environment, where political objectives have been prioritised over justice,” the statement, posted on X, read.

The TTAP branded the sentences a “terrifying reflection of the controlled judicial structure” which emerged after the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments.

The amendments “effectively stripped the judiciary of its constitutional independence, subjecting it to administrative and political pressure, as a result of which decisions are emerging that do not meet the demands of justice but rather reflect the will of the centres of power”, the statement added.

Declaring the court’s decision “a blot on democracy and justice”, the TTAP demanded Imaan and Hadi’s immediate release.

‘Apalling judgment’

Lawyer Reema Omar said the judgment against Imaan and Hadi was “apalling” and “should be of concern for anyone who believes in dissent and the freedom of expression”.

‘Legal system in Pakistan is dead’

PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan noted that the “kangaroo court” conviction of Imaan and Hadi proved that “the legal system in Pakistan is dead”.

“Members of the judiciary, from the highest to the lowest foru,m should hang their heads in shame,” he said.

“The judiciary is a willing accessory and accomplice with the illegal imposed fascist regime ruling Pakistan,” he said.

‘Law and basic decency decimated’

Activist Ammar Ali Jan said that the couple were the latest victims of “state gangsterism” and that their “only crime is that they consistently spoke up for victims of enforced disappearances and false blasphemy accusations”.

“This regime has decimated law and basic decency. Everyone’s turn will come if we don’t speak up,” he said.

‘We have made ourselves far poorer’

Journalist Benazir Shah noted that Imaan and Hadi defended those accused of blasphemy and the families of missing persons, whom she deemed “the most vulnerable and silenced people in the country”.

“By punishing Imaan and Hadi, we have made ourselves far poorer — morally and legally,” she wrote.

‘Clear message for others who rise to challenge and question the state’

Veteran journalist Mariana Baabar posted a copy of the court order on X, listing the years of imprisonment handed to the couple.

“[This is a] clear message for others who rise to challenge and question the state,” she wrote.

‘Judge will be remembered in history’

Journalist Azaz Syed noted that Judge Majoka will be remembered in history for “delivering justice to the state at remarkable speed”, adding that he “set a new record”.

“Reportedly, [the] judge neither allowed them the right of cross-examination nor permitted them to give their final statements, known in court as the Section 342 statement,” he said.

‘Grave miscarriage of justice’

Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas called the verdict “a grave miscarriage of justice”.

“These human rights lawyers were convicted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act solely for social media posts criticising what they saw as state abuses and advocating for marginalised communities,” he said.

“The unfair sentences, procedural irregularities, and apparent motivations behind the case reveal a weaponisation of the law to silence dissent and intimidate those who defend vulnerable groups,” he said.

“This ruling sends a chilling message that peaceful advocacy and criticism of power will be met with severe repression. Genuine accountability for human rights violations should be pursued instead of punishing those who expose them,” he said, expressing the hope that the higher judiciary would grant the lawyers relief.