Amnesty appeals to PM for Imaan, Hadi's release

Human rights organisation Amnesty International issued an urgent action appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday calling for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha.

The two were convicted in Islamabad last month linked to alleged posts and reposts on X that investigators described as "anti-state".

The convictions were widely condemned by the legal community, politicians and civil society.

On Monday, Amnesty issued an urgent action appeal and called on the public to write to the premier about the couple's release.

In model letter written to the premier, Amnesty recounted the circumstances of their arrest and conviction, saying they were "being targeted solely for their advocacy and work defending human rights in the country".

It said their trial was conducted with "unusual haste", adding that they were "consistently denied the right to cross-examine witnesses and bring evidence against them".

Amnesty also noted that their conviction was announced while a transfer application was still pending against the presiding judge, who the couipled had accused of bias.

The organisation praised them as lawyers who had defended the rights of "countless people" and who were currently representing journalists, activists and victims of enforced disappearances and blasphemy allegations.