Islamabad: A court in Pakistan’s capital has sentenced seven people, including journalists, YouTubers, and retired army officers, to life imprisonment after convicting them of inciting violence and spreading hatred against state institutions during the unrest that followed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023. 

An anti-terrorism court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, delivered the verdict in Islamabad on Friday after completing trials conducted in absentia. None of the accused were present in court, as all are believed to be living abroad after leaving Pakistan in recent years to avoid arrest.

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Those sentenced include former editor Shaheen Sehbai, journalists Sabir Shakir and Moeed Pirzada, YouTubers Wajahat Saeed Khan and Haider Raza Mehdi, and retired army officers Adil Raja and Akbar Hussain.

The unrest followed Imran Khan’s arrest in 2023

According to the court order, the convictions relate to violent unrest that erupted on May 9, 2023 following Khan’s arrest in a corruption case. Thousands of his supporters took to the streets, attacking military installations, torching government property, ransacking the residence of a senior army officer, and damaging the state-run Radio Pakistan building.

Khan himself was indicted in 2024 on charges of inciting violence against military and government targets. He has denied the allegations. Khan was removed from office in April 2022 after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament.

Prosecutors said the seven men, all known for publicly supporting Khan, had encouraged violence during the riots by spreading inflammatory content. They alleged that this followed Khan’s repeated claims that his removal from power was orchestrated by the United States and Pakistan’s military. Those claims have been denied by the US government, the Pakistani military, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who succeeded Khan.

Accused journalist rejects charges

Speaking to The Associated Press (AP), Sabir Shakir said he was aware of the verdict but rejected the charges. He said he was not in Pakistan at the time of the unrest and had travelled to Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage before later going to Britain, where he sought political asylum.

“The ruling against me and others is nothing but political victimisation,” Shakir said, adding that the trial was held without his lawyer being heard. He said he had been handed two life sentences in the in-absentia proceedings. The other convicted men could not immediately be reached for comment.

Under the court order, the seven have seven days to file appeals. The court has also instructed police to arrest them and transfer them to prison should they return to Pakistan.

Human rights groups and journalists’ unions have expressed concern over what they describe as a shrinking space for free speech in Pakistan, where media restrictions have tightened in recent years. The government of Prime Minister Sharif maintains that it supports freedom of expression but insists that journalists and online commentators must adhere to ethical and professional standards.

AP