ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced six journalists, commentators, and YouTuber Adil Raja to life imprisonment in cases linked to the May 9, 2023, riots that erupted after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.
The Islamabad anti-terrorism court handed down two life sentences each to YouTuber Adil Raja, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir, and Shaheen Sehbai, television anchor Haider Raza Mehdi, analyst Moeed Peerzada, and retired army officer Akbar Hussain. The verdicts were announced by Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra after trials conducted in absentia.
Charges and convictions
Prosecutors accused the convicted individuals of engaging in what the court described as “digital terrorism against state institutions” in connection with the unrest, during which government buildings and military installations were vandalised.
The court sentenced the defendants to rigorous life imprisonment on two counts — waging or attempting to wage war against the state and criminal conspiracy — and imposed fines of 500,000 Pakistani rupees for each offence. An additional 10-year prison sentence and a fine of 200,000 rupees were imposed under Section 121-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with conspiracy related to offences against the state.
Case background
According to court orders, cases against Raja, Khan, Sehbai, and Mehdi were registered at Islamabad’s Ramna police station, while cases against Shakir, Peerzada, and Hussain were filed at Aabpara police station, all on behalf of the state.
The May 9 riots marked one of the most serious episodes of political unrest in Pakistan in recent years, following Khan’s arrest in a corruption case. Authorities have since pursued a wide-ranging crackdown, including prosecutions linked to online speech and commentary surrounding the protests.
The unrest erupted on May 9, 2023, after former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in the Al-Qadir Trust land corruption case.
The government says PTI supporters attacked state buildings, vandalised vehicles, and stormed military facilities during the violence, prompting the deployment of the army to restore order and the arrest of nearly 2,000 people
