A court in Islamabad sentenced seven people to life imprisonment on Friday for inciting violence during riots in May 2023. The convicted individuals include three journalists, two YouTubers, and two retired army officers, all of whom were tried in absentia.
The anti-terrorism court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, delivered the verdict after concluding trials held without the accused present. 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 charges stem from unrest that erupted following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. Thousands of Khan's supporters attacked military installations, torched government property, ransacked an army officer's residence, and damaged the state-run Radio Pakistan building. The seven men were convicted of inciting violence and spreading hatred against state institutions.
Sabir Shakir, one of those convicted, told the Associated Press that he was not in Pakistan at the time of the riots. He described the ruling as "political victimisation" and said the trial was conducted without hearing his lawyer's arguments. The others could not be reached for comment.
Under the court order, the seven have seven days to appeal. Police have been directed to arrest them if they return to Pakistan. Human rights groups have expressed concern over shrinking freedom of speech in the country, while the government maintains that journalists and YouTubers must adhere to ethical standards.
