Despite the Supreme Court’s bail order, Iman Mazari and Hadi Chatta did not get any relief

ISLAMABAD – Activist and lawyer Iman Zainab Mazari Hazrat and her husband Hadi Ali Chatta were allegedly taken back into police custody shortly after their release from Adiala Jail, hours after the Supreme Court ordered the suspension of their sentences and their release on bail.

The development came on Thursday after a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, allowed the couple’s appeals to suspend their sentences. The court granted him bail on a surety bond of Rs 200,000 pending the final decision of the Islamabad High Court.

The couple was released from Adiala Jail on the orders of the Supreme Court, but later the police detained them and released them from the jail premises. The legal basis for the reported re-arrest was not immediately clear. It remains to be determined whether the police action is related to another pending case, a separate detention order, or another judicial or administrative directive.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court annulled the 17-year sentence of Iman Mazari and Chatha in the controversial tweets case. The convictions were imposed under several provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), including provisions relating to glorification of an offence, cyber terrorism and false or fake information. The court also imposed heavy fines on both the accused.

The couple had challenged their convictions and sought suspension of their convictions in the Islamabad High Court. His case reached the Supreme Court after the IHC refused to suspend the convictions.

The court ordered the release of each accused on a surety bond of Rs 200,000. The decision temporarily suspended the effect of the 17-year prison sentences but did not constitute a final acquittal.

This action has been criticized by rights organizations and international legal bodies. The International Commission of Jurists had previously said the convictions raised concerns about the prosecution and conduct of the two lawyers.

The Supreme Court suspended the 17-year sentence in the Tweets case and gave relief to Iman Mazari and her husband

The post Despite Supreme Court’s bail order, Iman Mazari and Hadi Chatta did not get any relief appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

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