The Sindh High Court has granted bail to renowned filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood Raza, popularly known as Jami, after a lower court sentenced him to two years in prison in a defamation case earlier this week.

Jami’s legal team confirmed on Thursday that the bail was granted, pending the outcome of an appeal challenging his conviction. While the official court order is still awaited, his lawyers argue that the trial was marred by serious legal missteps.

According to the appeal, the defense claims the trial court misapplied the burden of proof, placing it on the accused instead of the prosecution—an approach that, they argue, violates foundational principles of criminal justice. The defense also asserted that the evidence presented against Jami lacked consistency and failed to credibly establish the charges.

The appeal seeks a suspension of the trial court’s ruling and a full reversal of the conviction after judicial review.

The case originated from a 2019 incident at the Lahooti Melo festival in Jamshoro, where Jami read aloud a letter from an anonymous sexual assault survivor. The letter, which he later posted on Facebook, accused a media industry figure of sexual assault without explicitly naming anyone.

However, filmmaker Sohail Javed filed a defamation complaint, arguing that the letter’s details—such as references to the accused being a music video and TV commercial director, attending a festival panel in Hyderabad, and introducing his son—led the public to associate the allegations with him.

Earlier this week, a Karachi sessions court found Jami guilty under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code, sentencing him to two years in prison and a fine of Rs10,000.

With the appeal now filed and bail secured, Jami awaits further proceedings that could determine whether the original verdict will stand or be overturned.