ISLAMABAD: The trial proceedings in the controversial tweets case against lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse Hadi Ali Chattha were disrupted on Saturday when the couple boycotted the hearing after a court reserved its order.

The lawyer couple, who were arrested in a separate case on Friday and sent on judicial remand, briefly appeared via video link before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka in Islamabad.

At the start of the hearing, the court sought compliance with earlier directions regarding the production of the accused for cross-examination, which the court had declared as the final opportunity in light of orders issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Citing security concerns, police submitted a report stating that it would take five to six hours to transport the accused from jail and requested permission for them to appear through a video link. The court accepted the request and directed that Imaan and Hadi be presented via video link.

However, technical issues, including internet connectivity problems at Adiala jail, delayed the proceedings. After a brief adjournment, Imaan and Hadi finally appeared before the court via video link.

When the judge asked whether the defence wished to begin cross-examination, Imaan questioned whether media representatives were present in the courtroom.

She then alleged that both she and her husband were being subjected to mistreatment in custody, adding that they were not being provided food or water.

Imaan addressed the judge directly, saying, “You are doing your job … everything is happening because of you.”

The incarcerated lawyer then announced that both she and her husband were boycotting the proceedings.

In response, Judge Majoka asked whether they no longer wished to participate in the trial and advised them to wait for the verdict. Despite this, both the accused left their seats before the conclusion of the hearing, effectively refusing to take part in further proceedings.

Following the boycott, the judge directed the court staff to record the entire proceedings and place them on the judicial record.

Defence counsel Ashraf Gujjar later moved a request for summoning a person relevant to the case. The judge noted that the individual had already appeared online and stated that the entire record would be reviewed.

Subsequently, Judge Majoka announced that he would pass a written order on the defence request and reserved the decision, while the trial remained pending.

Imaan and Hadi’s arrest on Friday prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians, and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.

Amnesty International noted the “lack of adherence to due process” and said these were “retaliatory cases aimed solely at silencing Imaan and Hadi for their human rights work and dissent”.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also condemned the arrests, terming the case a “tool to harass, intimidate and ultimately muzzle dissent”.

Cases against the duo

Imaan and Hadi have recently defended themselves in a case that pertains to controversial social media posts. The case stems from a complaint filed on Aug 12, 2025, at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Islamabad.

They were indicted in the case on October 30 last year.

ADSJ Majoka had issued arrest warrants for the couple on January 16, a day after cancelling their interim bail following repeated non-appearances.

Subsequently, the two challenged their arrest orders before the IHC.

The NCCIA complaint accused Mazari of disseminating and “propagating narratives that align with hostile terrorist groups and proscribed organisations”, while her husband was implicated for reposting some of her posts.

The FIR of the case alleged that the two held security forces responsible for cases of missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

It also stated that they had portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against proscribed groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Earlier this week, a case dating back to July 2025 emerged against the duo, relating to a protest by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). The IHC had granted them pre-arrest bail in the case.

Separately, on Thursday, anti-terrorism court (ATC) Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra dismissed Imaan and Hadi’s pre-arrest bail applications in a case over a scuffle outside the IHC in September 2025 — the same case in which they were arrested today.