Pakistan's top court suspends sentences for rights lawyer Mazari

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday suspended lengthy prison sentences against human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her spouse, directing their release on bail pending further legal proceedings. The court's intervention halts a detention that has drawn widespread condemnation from civil liberties advocates and international observers monitoring judicial independence in the country.

Mazari, a vocal critic of state policies and prominent figure in Pakistan's legal community, had been sentenced to 17 years imprisonment alongside her husband. The nature of charges against the couple was not immediately clarified, though Mazari's public advocacy on human rights issues has frequently placed her at odds with authorities.

The Supreme Court's decision to suspend the sentences represents a significant development in a case that has attracted attention from global rights organisations. Legal experts say the bail order suggests the court may harbour concerns about the validity or circumstances of the original convictions.

The suspension comes amid ongoing debates about judicial independence and the treatment of activists and lawyers in Pakistan, a country that has faced periodic criticism over press freedoms and protection of dissenting voices. Human rights groups have long raised alarm about legal proceedings targeting prominent advocates and journalists.