Pakistan : Rights groups condemn life imprisonment for Mahrang Baloch, call it ‘judicial terrorism’

Quetta: Several leading human rights organisations and activists strongly condemned the life imprisonment handed down to four Baloch activists, including Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch, calling the verdict a “blatant miscarriage of justice” and “act of judicial terrorism” by Pakistan.

The criticism came after the Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday sentenced four activists, including Mahrang Baloch, to life imprisonment in connection with a case relating to the killing of a Frontier Corps official.

Condemning the ruling, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) called Pakistan a “terrorist state”, alleging that Islamabad is using its power and institutions to spread “fear and terror” in Balochistan.

“We reject this verdict. This act of judicial terrorism by Pakistan cannot stop the Baloch national movement or obstruct the path of resistance politics,” the BNM posted on X.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) termed the verdict “a blatant miscarriage of justice”, aimed at criminalising peaceful human rights advocacy and silencing voices speaking out against state-sponsored human rights violations.

“Such actions reflect the ongoing repression of dissent and the shrinking space for fundamental freedoms in Balochistan. Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) require the protection of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to a fair trial, rights that are gravely undermined by this verdict,” the HRCB stated.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) sharply criticised the conviction of Mahrang Baloch and other members, while calling for an early review of the verdict.

Taking to its social media platform X, the HRCP said, “Regrettably, the state has continued its policy of dealing with advocacy for fundamental rights in the same way as it deals with militancy, leading to executive and judicial decisions that are lopsided and prejudiced. We demand a review of the ATC’s decision at the earliest and the initiation of a political dialogue in Balochistan.”

Shalee Baloch, the central organiser of the Baloch Women Forum (BWF), urged the global and national legal community as well as human rights activists to raise their voices against what she described as “judicial and governmental oppression”.

“Today’s court rulings against Baloch political activists have once again made it abundantly clear that the country’s judicial system is adopting a biased stance against Baloch political activists who believe in transparency and non-violence—a stance that cannot be condemned enough. State institutions are employing every possible tactic to silence the peaceful and constitutional voices of struggle in Balochistan,” Shalee posted on X.

“We consider this ruling another link in the chain of suppressing the voices of political activists and criminalising dissent in Balochistan, and we strongly condemn it,”she added.

Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), described the ruling as a “psychological tactic” and instrument of “state manipulation” against the political activists of “oppressed” regions in Pakistan.

“We call upon the international community, the United Nations, global human rights organisations, democratic institutions, and freedom-loving forces around the world to take notice of the ongoing actions against political activists in Pakistan, including enforced disappearances, politically motivated sentences, and policies that criminalise dissent. We urge them to play their role in safeguarding human rights, political freedoms, and justice,” Burfat posted on X.

IANS