An Islamabad Anti-terrorism court (ATC) handed out two life sentences each to YouTuber Adil Raja, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, anchorperson Haider Raza Mehdi, analyst Moeed Pirzada and former army official Akbar Hussain in cases related to riots in the country on May 9, 2023.
The riots – during which government and military installations were also vandalised – had erupted following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.
The prosecution had accused the convicted individuals of “digital terrorism against state institutions” in relation to the events of May 9, 2023. The cases stemmed from allegations that the accused used digital platforms to incite, facilitate and amplify attacks against state institutions during the May 9 unrest.
Reserved verdicts in the cases were announced by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra on Friday after the completion of trials in absentia.
The trials were conducted in absentia at the prosecution’s request and by means of invoking the relevant provisions of anti-terrorism laws.
According to court orders issued by Judge Sipra, cases against Raja, Khan, Sehbai and Mehdi were registered at Islamabad’s Ramna police station.
Similarly, cases against Shakir, Hussain and Pirzada were registered at the Aabpara police station.
The court sentenced the individuals to rigorous life imprisonment on two counts – waging or attempting to wage or abetting in waging war against Pakistan and criminal conspiracy. They have also been directed to pay Rs500,000 in fines for each of the two offences.
They have been further handed out 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs200,000 for committing an offence under Section 121-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The said provision deals with the subject of conspiracy to commit offences that are punishable under Section 121 (waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan) of the PPC.
Moreover, they have also been penalised with another 10-year sentence of rigorous imprisonment and Rs200,000 fine for committing an offence under Section 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from their duty) of the PPC.
They have also been handed out triple 5-year sentences of rigorous imprisonment on three counts under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. They are also required to pay Rs200,000 for each of the three offences.
In case they fail to pay the fine for any of the offences they have been found guilty of committing, the period of their imprisonment will extend by six months, according to the court orders.
The orders further stated that the benefit of Section 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the Code of Criminal Procedure was being extended to the convicts, and that all sentences handed out to them were to run concurrently.
“The convict is informed that he has the right to file/prefer an appeal in the Hon’ble Islamabad High Court, Islamabad within seven days,” each of the orders said.
The court also authorised and instructed the relevant station house officers to arrest the convicts “upon his availability and to forward him to jail for the commitment of his sentence”.
During the trials in the cases, the prosecution produced 24 witnesses. Public prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kayani represented the prosecution while Advocate Gulfam Ashraf Goraiya appeared on behalf of the accused.
Records show that Advocate Goraiya was appointed as the defence counsel by the court.
A detailed written judgement, which is yet to be issued by the court, is expected to outline the evidentiary basis and legal reasoning underpinning the multiple convictions and sentences.
The cases against the seven convicted individuals were registered in 2023.
The case against Shakir, Pirzada and Hussain was registered by Islamabad police on charges of sedition and terrorism for their alleged involvement in the violence and vandalism amid protests that erupted in the wake of PTI chief Imran’s arrest.
Similarly, Sehbai, Khan, Raja and Mehdi were booked for “abetting mutiny” and inciting people to attack military installations across the country on May 9, 2023.
Rights organisation Amnesty International and global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had raised concerns and called out Pakistani authorities in June 2023, following the registration of these cases.
“At least seven journalists and commentators have been charged with offences against the state and anti-terror laws in the past four days,” Amnesty International had said in a statement, expressing concern over “the crackdown on voices critical of the state and military”.
“The use of these laws to silence commentators and journalists is a violation of the right to freedom of expression,” the statement said.