A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced eight journalists and social media commentators to life imprisonment in absentia, convicting them on terrorism-related charges tied to online content supporting jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
The ruling, delivered on Friday, stems from cases filed after violent protests on May 9, 2023, when Khan’s supporters attacked military installations following his brief arrest, according to court documents and officials.
In its verdict, the court said the accused individuals’ actions “fell within the ambit of terrorism” under Pakistani law, concluding that their online material promoted “fear and unrest” in society.
Most of those convicted are believed to be living outside Pakistan and did not appear during the proceedings, the court said. The sentences were handed down in absentia and include life imprisonment, additional prison terms, and fines, with further jail time ordered if the fines are not paid.
Those sentenced include former army officers turned YouTubers Adil Raja and Syed Akbar Hussain, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir, and Shaheen Sehbai, political commentator Haider Raza Mehdi, and analyst Moeed Pirzada, according to the ruling.
Saeed Khan, who lives in New York, rejected the verdict, saying he was never notified of the proceedings.
“I was never served a summons, never informed of any hearing, and never contacted by the court,” he said in a statement. “This ruling is not justice. It is political theater conducted without due process, jurisdiction, or credibility.”
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Since the May 2023 protests, Pakistan’s government and military have launched a sweeping crackdown on Khan’s party and critics, prosecuting hundreds under anti-terrorism laws and, in some cases, military courts.
Media rights groups have raised alarms over the use of terrorism legislation against journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists said last year that the investigations amounted to retaliation for critical reporting.
“Authorities must immediately drop these investigations and end the relentless intimidation and censorship of the media,” CPJ Asia program coordinator Beh Lih Yi said at the time.
Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister, has been imprisoned since 2023 and faces multiple legal cases that he and his supporters say are politically motivated.