A Pakistani court has sentenced journalists and social media commentators, including Adil Raja, Syed Akbar Hussain, Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir, Shaheen Sehbai, Haider Raza Mehdi, and Moeed Pirzada, to life imprisonment in absentia for allegedly inciting violence during riots following ex-PM Imran Khan’s 2023 arrest. The accused, living abroad to avoid arrest, were convicted after trials held by an anti-terrorism court judge. The crackdown on dissenting voices and Khan’s party by the government and military has led to hundreds facing prosecution under anti-terrorism laws. The journalists have seven days to appeal the verdict and will be arrested upon returning to Pakistan.
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