Islamabad: Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office on March 23 called on Pakistani authorities to immediately release Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch and all others being detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest. Mahrang Baloch has been in ‘unlawful detention for over 38 hours’, and denied access to her lawyers and family.
In a post on X, Amnesty International wrote, more than 38 hours since Mahrang Baloch’s unlawful detention, she is still being denied access to her lawyers and family. There are also worrying reports of continued arbitrary arrests and detentions across Balochistan province.
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The organisation added, “Pakistani authorities must immediately release Mahrang Baloch and all others being detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest, and refrain from implicating Baloch activists in frivolous cases to unlawfully prolong their detention.”
Notably Mahrang Baloch was taken into custody by the police on Saturday morning. The international community, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders; Mary Lawlor, also expressed concern over Baloch’s detention and called for her immediate release.
“Very concerned by reports that Mahrang Baloch and a number of other HRDs have been arrested in Balochistan following a crackdown on Baloch Yakjehti Committee protesters in Quetta,” Lawlor wrote, calling attention to the ongoing repression in the region.
The incident has raised concerns about the treatment of Baloch activists and their families, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in such cases.
Mahrang Baloch, a prominent figure in the human rights movement and a staunch advocate for the rights of the Baloch people, was violently dragged and arrested. Many others were also detained, marking a troubling escalation in the Pakistani authorities’ efforts to silence dissent in the region.
Notably, Amnesty International is a global human rights organization that conducts research and generates action to prevent and end human rights abuses. The South Asia Regional Office covers countries including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, working to promote and protect human rights through research, advocacy, and support for human rights defenders. (With inputs from ANI)
