An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan sentenced eight journalists and social media activists, including Moeed Pirzada and Adil Raja, to life in prison in absentia.
The court ruled that the actions of the individuals fell “within the scope of terrorism as defined under Pakistani law,” and that the online content they produced had caused “fear and insecurity” in society.
Following violent protests by supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Pakistani government and military have launched a broad campaign against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and critical voices, with hundreds of people prosecuted through the courts for incitement and attacks on state institutions.
The journalists and social media activists were sentenced to life in prison as part of this crackdown. Most of them are reportedly outside Pakistan and did not appear in court. The sentences are subject to confirmation by the Islamabad High Court.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said investigations into the 2023 events amounted to retaliation for critical reporting. Li Yi, a representative of the organization, urged Pakistan to immediately halt the investigations and end its ongoing censorship of the media.
