Quetta, June 26 (IANS) UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Andrea Bolanos Vargas expressed serious concern over the life sentences handed down to Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah Ji, calling on Pakistan’s judiciary to overturn what she described as “unjust convictions.”
She cited multiple alleged violations during the proceedings, including denial of fair trial and due process, abuse of antiterrorism laws, criminalisation of peaceful assembly, and double punishment for the same act.
The remarks came after a 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, local media reported.
Alongside Mahrang Baloch, the court also handed life sentences to Baloch Students Organisation (BSO) Chairman Balach Qadir, central leader Abu Bakr Kalanchi, and BYC leader Sibghatullah Shahji.
“I express grave concern regarding life sentences imposed on WHRD Mahrang Baloch & Sibghatullah Shah, leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, by the Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta in a secret trial. Violations Identified: denial of fair trial, abuse of antiterrorism laws, criminalisation of peaceful assembly, due process, and double punishment for the same act. I urge the superior judiciary to overturn manifestly unjust convictions,” Vargas posted on X.
Earlier on Tuesday, Tara Chand, President of the Baloch American Congress, wrote to US President Donald Trump expressing grave concern over the life imprisonment of Mahrang Baloch, saying the verdict undermines due process and the rights of peaceful political activists.
In his letter addressed to President Trump, the Baloch activist said, “Mahrang Baloch has dedicated her life to peacefully raising awareness about enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and human rights violations in Balochistan. For more than a year, she has remained imprisoned, and she has now been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Pakistani court. We believe this decision raises serious concerns regarding due process, freedom of expression, and the rights of peaceful political activists.”
“The people of Balochistan continue to suffer from poverty, political repression, and human rights abuses despite the region’s vast natural resources. Many families are still searching for loved ones who have disappeared, while those who peacefully demand justice often face intimidation and imprisonment,” he added.
Several leading human rights organisations also condemned the ruling, describing it as an “affront to fair trial” and a “blatant miscarriage of justice.”
–IANS
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