- Cecilie Roang says that the envoy’s actions “in accordance with int’l law.”
- Norway observes trials around the world: official.
- “Reporting at Home on Events Core Mission Diplomacy.”
Norway’s foreign ministry has defended the presence of its ambassador at a Supreme Court hearing by Imaan Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, saying the move was “in accordance with international law”.
“Such a legal presence and observation of a court hearing in the receiving state is within the embassies’ functions and is in accordance with international law,” writes Norwegian media. The daily newspaper quoted Cecilie Roang, senior adviser at Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying.
The statement comes two days after Pakistan’s foreign ministry summoned the Norwegian ambassador over his presence at the court hearing in Islamabad, which officials said amounted to interference in the country’s internal affairs.
FO spokesman Tahir Andrabi said the Additional Secretary of State (Europe) summoned the Norwegian diplomat over his participation in a trial, calling it “a breach of diplomatic protocol and relevant international law”.
“The ambassador was called upon to adhere to the established norms of diplomatic engagement as outlined in the relevant articles of the Vienna Convention, noting that his actions constitute interference in the country’s internal affairs,” Andrabi added.
In a statement issued a day ago, Roang confirmed that the Norwegian ambassador attended and observed a hearing at the Supreme Court, stressing that such actions fall within the routine functions of diplomatic missions and were “both legal and completely normal.”
She said that Norway, like many other countries, regularly observes trials around the world, especially in cases of public interest. “Reporting at home on events in the country of service is a core task of diplomacy. Legally attending public hearings is not an unusual way to gather knowledge,” she added.
While the FO raised objections to the presence of the Norwegian envoy at the hearing, Mazari defended his actions as a routine event.
Mazari, responding to an X user’s post criticizing the Norwegian ambassador’s presence at the hearing, defended his actions, saying diplomats “routinely observe” such procedures.
“[…] diplomats routinely observe court proceedings – this is not the same as taking a position on any case. This is a standard practice,” she wrote in her post on X.
Meanwhile, a three-member SC bench accepted Mazari’s plea against the Islamabad High Court verdict, which had dismissed the lawyer’s plea to stay the trial in the magistrate court for further sessions.
The court in its judgment said that the trial in the said case should be stayed pending the decision of the IHC.
Mazari and Chattha were accused in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under Sections 9, 10, 11 and 26 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016 and were subsequently indicted on 30 October.
The first information report (FIR) alleges that the couple tried to incite division on linguistic grounds through social media posts.
