KARACHI: The European Union on Thursday criticized Pakistan over the conviction of two human rights lawyers for their social media activity, saying the ruling ran counter to freedom of expression and the independence of the legal profession, core democratic principles that Islamabad is committed to uphold under international law.

Imaan Mazari-Hazir and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha were arrested last Friday as they were on their way to a court appearance and were later remanded to two weeks in judicial custody.

Authorities accused them of violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) over posts on X that they said incited ethnic divisions and portrayed the military as being involved in “terrorism.” Both deny the allegations.

“The conviction of human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha over social media activity goes against freedom of expression and independence of lawyers,” Anouar El Anouni, the EU’s spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, said in a post on X. “These are not only key democratic principles but also part of Pakistan’s international human rights commitments.”

Pakistan is one of the largest beneficiaries of the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which grants duty-free access to most European markets in return for implementing 27 international conventions covering human rights, labor standards, environmental protection and good governance.

Pakistan’s GSP+ status came under scrutiny in the past after, in April 2021, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an immediate review, citing concerns over violence against religious minorities, curbs on media freedom and broader human rights issues.

Earlier this week, lawyers in Pakistan’s capital went on strike and announced plans to stage a protest against the court ruling, which handed Mazari-Hazir and Chattha a cumulative 17-year sentence.

The Pakistani government has not yet responded to the EU statement.