Pressure, cyber bullying and arrest warrants – nothing has proved effective so far to silence lawyer Iman Mazari, who has become the voice of human rights in Pakistan. Even the punishment handed down this weekend failed to break his courage. 32-year-old Iman Mazari has made it clear that even jail sentence will not weaken his struggle.
Iman Mazari, who strongly advocates the cause of ethnic minorities, journalists and people accused of blasphemy, is one of the most famous and outspoken dissident voices of Pakistan. As his identity grew stronger, the number of cases registered against him also increased, including serious charges like ‘cyber terrorism’ and ‘hate speech’.
10 years imprisonment in ‘anti-state post’ case
On Saturday, an Islamabad court sentenced Iman Mazari and her husband, lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha, to 10 years in jail each for alleged ‘anti-state’ social media posts. According to court documents, Mazari, a vocal critic of Pakistan’s military, had shared “highly objectionable” material. The sentencing came at a time when the couple had been re-arrested just a day earlier. He was going to court for hearing in the same case.
Iman Mazari spoke in court: ‘We will not back down’
In court on Tuesday, Iman Mazari said that ‘it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the truth in this country’, adding that ‘but we knew this when we entered into this work. We are ready to face it… and we are not going to back down. His stance is being compared to that of Pakistan’s late veteran human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir. To this, Mazari said that this comparison is “a great honor and privilege” for him.
Family associated with political and intellectual heritage
Iman Mazari is the daughter of former Human Rights Minister of Pakistan Shireen Mazari. His father, who is no more, was a well-known pediatrician in South Asia. Shirin Mazari told AFP that this is a very difficult time for the family due to the threats her daughter is receiving, but that she is proud that her daughter is standing up for the “deprived and marginalized people”. He said that ‘when so many people are suffering, we hope that she will also have to suffer for raising her voice against human rights violations.’
From enforced disappearances to blasphemy cases
As a pro bono lawyer, Iman Mazari has worked on some of the most sensitive cases in Pakistan. These include cases of forced disappearance of people from the Baloch community, advocacy of Baloch activist Mehrang Baloch, people accused of blasphemy and cases of Afghan citizens. Journalist Asad Ali Toor, whom Mazari represented in several cases, says she has been “a constant challenge to the state”. In her words ‘because she is representing all those people who are directly or indirectly becoming victims of state action.’
The cost of being a woman: Sexist attacks and fake photos
Iman Mazari, who studied at the University of Edinburgh, had to face sexist comments and doctored photographs on social media along with her work. In a country like Pakistan, where women’s participation in the workplace is already low, this challenge becomes even bigger.
Got recognition on international platform also
In the year 2025, Iman Mazari was honored with the Young Inspiration Award by the World Expression Forum. He was given this honor for “extraordinary courage and integrity in the fight for the rule of law and justice”. This year, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders said that the cases filed against Mazari reflected “arbitrary use of the legal system to intimidate and harass him”.
Mazari was also the target of the army
In January 2026, Pakistan Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, citing Mazari’s X post in a press conference, said that ‘they work to promote terrorism under the guise of democracy and human rights. The struggle will continue, despite all these allegations and punishment, Iman Mazari says that she and her husband will continue the struggle. He told AFP that ‘We are not the first people to be imprisoned illegally in this country… We will continue the fight.’
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