Pakistan has taken Mahrang Baloch, a leading figure for the nation’s Baloch ethnic minority and a human rights champion, into custody once more, preventing her lawyer from accessing her in prison. According to Mahrang’s sister Nadia Baloch, who was permitted only a brief visit at the Hudda District Prison in Quetta, Mahrang appeared weak and stressed. The family fears Mahrang may be given contaminated or harmful food, as her lawyer was also denied access and her family’s provided food was not accepted.
Mahrang Baloch’s work for the Baloch people, comprising an estimated population between 10 and 15 million living across Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, is fraught with challenges and risks. The Baloch people, similar to the Kurds, desire greater autonomy or their own state, and some have adopted military tactics. Since March 11, a sudden escalation in violence was marked when the Baloch Liberation Army hijacked a train, leading to numerous fatalities. Pakistan’s response to the insurgency over the decades has been a covert “dirty war,” causing thousands of Baloch individuals to disappear or be killed. Mahrang Baloch established the Baloch Yekjehti (Solidarity) Committee to fight for political change based on human rights recognition, including resolving the fate of the missing.
Following the Jaffar Express hijacking, authorities intensified their pursuit of Baloch human rights activists, with several Solidarity Committee members being detained in Quetta. On Friday, security forces fired on protesters demanding their release, killing three. Mahrang was then arrested the next day at a sit-in with the victims’ bodies.
Mahrang Baloch,TIME100 Next list includee, has faced state harassment, including being placed on a no-fly list and her passport being suspended. She also felt pressured after her nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Her latest arrest has drawn condemnation from prominent rights defenders, such as Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, who demand her release.
Human rights advocates, including Sarah de Roure of Front Line Defenders, emphasize that Mahrang Baloch is targeted not only as a woman but also for her work on enforced disappearance, which started with her family and expanded to be part of a larger movement. Following her latest arrest, Nadia Baloch reported that the family had previously been denied visitation, indicating they might begin a hunger strike if they were not permitted to meet Mahrang. The sister stated that Mahrang was unaware of the reason for her arrest and that her isolation from other prisoners and lawyer access was against the law.
Source: https://time.com/7271141/pakistan-jails-mahrang-baloch-human-rights-activist/
