EU rights group, UN experts condemn detention of Baloch activists in Pakistan

Brussels [Belgium], May 1 (ANI): The human rights defenders mechanism of the European Union, ProtectDefenders.eu, has voiced serious concerns regarding the arbitrary detention of female Baloch human rights defenders (WHRDs) and the judicial persecution of two lawyers, highlighting that the situation in Balochistan poses "significant threats to civic space and the rule of law," as per a report from The Balochistan Post (TBP).

"We have received alarming information about the deteriorating condition of WHRD Dr. Mahrang Baloch, who has been imprisoned since her arrest by the Balochistan police on 22 March 2025 during a peaceful protest," the organisation stated, The Balochistan Post reported.

Mahrang Baloch is a well-known advocate for the rights of the Baloch people and a key member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). ProtectDefenders.eu characterised her arrest as "a clear retaliation for her protest against police killings and the ongoing harassment of Baloch human rights defenders under false claims of national security and counterinsurgency."

The organisation noted that the protest on March 22 was initiated in response to "police violence against demonstrators the previous day, which resulted in the deaths of three individuals, injuries to seven others, and the arrest of Baloch human rights defenders."

The organisation also expressed concern over the "attempted arbitrary detention" of WHRD Sabiha Baloch on April 5, stating that her family has since been threatened, which seems to be "a direct retaliation for her human rights advocacy in Balochistan."

Meanwhile, a group of more than a dozen UN human rights experts released a joint statement on Tuesday, expressing their concern regarding Pakistan's counter-terrorism actions in Balochistan and warning that the government is "merging legitimate human rights activism with terrorism," according to The Balochistan Post report.

They described the widespread practice of enforced disappearances as "a significant violation of human rights and an international crime" and urged Pakistan to create "independent and effective search and investigation mechanisms."

Earlier in March, a cohort of UN experts also called on Pakistan to promptly release detained Baloch rights defenders, including Mahrang Baloch, and to cease its repression of peaceful protests. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)