Geneva, July 8 (IANS) The United Nations experts on Wednesday strongly condemned the life sentence handed down to Baloch woman human rights defender and Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan’s Quetta, describing the verdict as “unjustified” and a “travesty of justice”.
The criticism came after the anti-terrorism court on June 22 sentenced four activists, including Mahrang, to life imprisonment in connection with a case relating to the killing of a Frontier Corps official.
“Dr. Baloch’s punishment is a travesty of justice, following an unfair trial and the misuse of counter-terrorism and murder charges to suppress peaceful protest and freedoms of association and expression,” said the UN experts.
The experts noted that several additional cases remain pending against Mahrang, with hearings ongoing. They warned that further convictions remain possible, as nearly 50 police complaints had reportedly been filed against her.
“We are dismayed by the number of cases Dr. Baloch has faced, which aim to intimidate, punish, and deter her and other Baloch activists advocating for victims of human rights violations,” they said.
Condemning the ruling, the experts said Mahrang’s trial was marred by “serious due process concerns.”
They noted that the trial was conducted inside a prison, with the accused denied the opportunity to appear in person despite Mahrang raising concerns over remote video proceedings and their impact on her ability to effectively participate in her defence. The experts further said that she was denied the right to choose her own legal counsel and was forced to be represented by a state-appointed lawyer.
They also expressed grave concern over Mahrang’s health and poor conditions of detention, including inadequate access to medical care and allegations of pressure on her family.
“The right to fair trial under international law must always be respected, even where national security or counter-terrorism measures are invoked,” the experts said.
They called on the Pakistani authorities to comply fully with their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and their own constitutional guarantees. They also urged the authorities to prevent the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation.
Warning that these convictions risk silencing independent voices in Balochistan and further shrinking civic space, the experts said, “Women human rights defenders have led protests against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings and demanded accountability. In a deeply patriarchal security context, their leadership has challenged entrenched norms. The misuse of counter-terrorism measures has deeply stigmatised them and heightened risks of gendered threats and reprisals.”
Highlighting the continuing pattern of intimidation and harassment of Baloch human rights activists by Pakistani authorities, the expert added, “Only last week, another prominent Baloch woman human rights defender, Sammi Deen Baloch, was subject to an unlawful raid on her family home following repeated visits by large numbers of security personnel, in a pattern of intimidation and harassment.”
–IANS
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