Islamabad police arrested the Human Rights Lawyer Imaan Mazari and Husband Arrested in Islamabad on Monday in what is described as a highly controversial move. The police statement, which is posted on X, reveals that Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali, were arrested for creating a security risk by interfering with state duties during the visit of an international cricket team.
Imran’s mother, former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, confirmed that her son was also arrested, labeling the arrests “state fascism.” She said police had swung a steel barrier at Imran on Friday, causing injuries. One video that has been distributed far and wide appears to show the couple trying to remove road barriers that police had been installing to close the street. Things quickly escalated further when a man in a jacket seemed to push one of the barriers toward Imaan, prompting his brother to intervene.
This recent detention marks the culmination of some recent legal battles for Imaan. She was recently detained in mid-August 2023 on allegations of sedition. While out on bail, just one week into her time on the loose, the authorities re-detained Imaan and arrested her under a terror charges claim. She received bail though early in September.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned the couple’s arrest, labeling charges against the couple as “vague” and called for an immediate release of the duo. HRCP cited that the couple, Imaan, and her husband are well-respected human rights defenders and added, “Imaan’s arrest is reflective of the fast-shrinking space for activists in Pakistan.”.
Political figures and activists, including former PTI MPA Taimur Saleem Jhagra and renowned journalist Hamid Mir, condemned the arrest. Mir said this arrest was “unacceptable” and warned it would give a bad image of the nation, while Jhagra said the struggle for social justice cannot neglect voices like Imaan.
Mahrang Baloch, a human rights activist, has said that she stands in solidarity with Imaan. She has been represented by Imaan in cases related to travel restrictions. She stated that the continuous harassment by Imaan is a way of discouraging her from the legal work that she is doing, particularly the fight against enforced disappearances.
Human rights defenders and lawyers have protested on behalf of the couple and demanded their immediate release as well as an end to the targeted persecution of human rights defenders.
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