Chair of PEN International’s Women Writers Committee, Judyth Hill, said, “We stand in unwavering solidarity with Mahrang Baloch, a courageous human rights defender on behalf of the Baloch committee. To silence her voice, they imprisoned her in detention. Her arrest echoed deep crises in free expression and persecution against minorities.”
On 22nd March 2025, almost one year ago, Dr. Mahrang Baloch was detained under Article 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance, as she was leading a peaceful sit-in protest. They were protesting on behalf of the protester killed a day before on 21 March, and the police used lethal force on them. Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a former doctor, was a prominent figure for women’s rights in Balochistan due to her selfless contributions and writings, including her recognition as one of the BBC 100 Most Influential and Inspiring Women 2024 and being named to Time magazine’s 100 Next Emerging Leaders in the same year. Most recently, she was nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Since her arrest, her rights have been violated at every step of the legal procedure. Firstly, the right to prove her innocence. Her detention was held without a fair trial. Later, that extension was continuously extended, without proper review. Just before her case was reviewed, authorities cancelled her detention order and charged her with serious criminal charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which is in violation of Article 10A (fair trial rights) and Article 10 (safeguard against arbitrary detention) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Her letters, which she penned down from the bleak walls of jail, while remembering her father caged under the same roof two decades ago. She stated how the Pakistani authorities were using coercion to silence her violence, which one can analyse with the series of intimidation; one was her being charged with sedition shortly after her visit from Norway, where she highlighted the ongoing human rights situation in Balochistan, which drew international attention, at the World Express Forum (WEXFO).
She was serving as a member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) at the time of her arrest. The reason for establishing the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) is to provide assistance and advocate for the rights of the Balochi people. Since 2020, BYC has been protesting against the excessive and unjust use of forced disappearances, extrajudicial killing and other forms of repression. In recent years, there has been a surge in extremist groups named State Khorasan Province (ISKP), creating a suppression of dissent. They’re targeting the progressive Balochis, publishing your name in their booklet and will tag you ‘Western Puppets’ if you raise your voice.
In 2011, Professor Saba Dashtiari, a Balochi professor at the University of Balochistan, was murdered in broad daylight, showing criticism against the human rights violation. Even though one of the extremist groups confronted the assassination on social media, no security measures have been taken to prevent it. As the authorities couldn’t stop her or make her disappear, they imposed baseless charges on her; the only evidence they have is the conference which she gave on 22 March.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch has been subjected to harassment, mistreatment and deprivation of their basic rights. They subject them to severe torture and force them into hunger strikes lasting five to ten consecutive days. According to her sister Nadia Baloch, she is deprived of basic health care facilities, because of which her sister demanded a neutral medical board to examine her and allow the family to take part in her care.
Her advocate, Sajid Tareen, in conversation with the media, stated that her arrest was based on a ‘mala fide intention’ with no nexus between the evidence presented and the charges imposed on her and other BYC members. He further asserted they should be released immediately. “It was exactly expected from the court because our courts are not free enough to go against their orders to take a bold step,” says Imran Baloch Mahrang’s lawyer.
Even though the purpose of BYC is to nurture prosperity, after seeing the deteriorating condition of the Baloch region, one must stand nevertheless; those who did stand for the just rights have been called apostates, and over 300 members of BYC were detained. Despite all the obstacles Dr. Mahrang and the BYC members have endured, they stand firm and determined to continue their struggle against the unjust human rights forces for the Balochi people.