ProtectDefenders.eu has received worrying information about the deteriorating health of WHRD Dr. Mahrang Baloch, who has been jailed since her arrest by Balochistan police on 22 March 2025 during a peaceful demonstration against violations by security forces in Balochistan.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch is a vocal campaigner for the rights of the Baloch community in Pakistan and has consistently spoken out against ongoing violations by the Pakistan police, military, and intelligence agencies. She is a leading figure in the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a network documenting and advocating for human rights in Balochistan.
On 22 March 2025, Dr. Mahrang Baloch was arrested by Balochistan Police during a peaceful sit-in to protest police violence against protesters from the previous day, as well as the arrest of Baloch human rights defenders, the killing of three people, and the injury of seven. Her arrest was a clear reprisal for her protest against police killings and the ongoing targeting of Baloch human rights defenders on false grounds of national security and counterinsurgency.
We have also been informed about the arbitrary detention of Baloch WHRD Sabiha Baloch, which occurred on 5 April 2025. She is still facing arbitrary imprisonment, while the targeting of her family members is considered a direct reprisal for her human rights work in Balochistan.
On the same day, another Baloch WHRD, Gulzadi Baloch, was arbitrarily arrested, with disturbing reports of excessive violence being used during the arrest. She is presently held at the Hudda District Prison under the regressive Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Act, which severely restricts access to bail.
During her detention, the woman human rights defender has been denied access to medical treatment despite her worsening health condition, raising serious concerns for her well-being and safety in jail.
ProtectDefenders.eu has also been informed about the judicial harassment of Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha.
The two defenders are human rights lawyers who have represented countless victims of human rights violations, taking up sensitive cases of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and custodial violations. Due to her activism and advocacy, Imaan Mazari has been targeted by state authorities.
On 20 March, summons were issued against Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha as part of a pattern of abuse and intimidation.
The defamation and legal persecution of Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha are reprisals for their human rights work and advocacy on behalf of victims and their families.
