Pakistani human rights lawyers sentenced over social media postsCEFR A1
20 Feb 2026
Adapted from Syed Salman Mehdi, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Hamid Roshaan, Unsplash
- Two Pakistani human rights lawyers were sentenced to prison.
- The case is about social media posts criticizing the military.
- The trial went from charge to sentence very quickly.
- Prosecutors showed screenshots, reposts, and witness statements.
- Defence lawyers said they could not question witnesses properly.
- The couple were arrested while going to court.
- They say officers used force during the arrest.
- Human rights groups and international bodies condemned the sentence.
- Many people worry the law is too vague.
Difficult words
- sentence — say a punishment for a crimesentenced
- prosecutor — lawyer who brings a criminal caseProsecutors
- defence — lawyers who help the person accused
- witness — person who saw an event and tells what happened
- condemn — say something is very bad or wrongcondemned
- vague — not clear or exact in meaning
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you use social media?
- Have you ever been to a court?
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