Hadi Ali Chattha

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

Country(ies) of nationality

Type of HRD

HRD's thematic area of engagement

HRD's bio and work: Hadi Ali Chattha is a Pakistani human rights lawyer and criminal law specialist known for his work defending individuals in cases involving serious human rights violations. He has represented victims of enforced disappearances, provided legal defence in blasphemy-related cases, and offered pro bono legal assistance to survivors of sexual violence and death row prisoners.

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

Geolocation of detention

Latitude: 33.48774994545164

Longitude: 73.04010841534337

Charge(s)

Sentence: On 24 January 2026, Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha were convicted under PECA provisions related to cyber-terrorism and false information over their posts on X. They were each sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment and fined PKR 36 million.

Recent case update / evolution: On 17 September 2026, the Supreme Court granted bail to Hadi Ali Chattha against surety bonds of Rs200,000 and suspended his sentence pending the decision of the Islamabad High Court. However, only hours after the Supreme Court ordered his release, Islamabad Police re-arrested him in connection with a separate case and produced him before an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), which rejected the police’s request for physical remand and sent him to jail on judicial remand.

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment: Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha were arrested using excessive force while they were on their way to court. It was further reported that they were not immediately informed of the reasons for their arrest and were allegedly taken to an undisclosed location before being presented before the court.

Protection actions and campaigns

Supporting files