Global human rights organisations on 29 June 2025 marked the 17th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Deen Mohammad Baloch, a central leader of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), demanding that Pakistani authorities immediately disclose his whereabouts and ensure his safe release. Deen Mohammad was taken from his workplace at Khuzdar Civil Hospital in Balochistan's Khuzdar district on 28 June 2009, according to rights groups, and his fate remains unknown to this day.

Key Developments on the 17th Anniversary

Ireland-based rights organisation Front Line Defenders issued a statement noting that what began as one family's search for a missing father has since grown into one of Pakistan's most prominent campaigns against enforced disappearances. The group called on Pakistani authorities to immediately reveal Deen Mohammad's fate and to halt all forms of harassment, surveillance, and reprisal against his daughter, human rights defender Sammi Deen Baloch.

Amnesty International also expressed grave concern, stating: 'Today marks 17 years since the enforced disappearance of Deen Mohammad Baloch, who was taken from his place of work, Khuzdar Civil Hospital, on 28 June 2009. Despite repeated petitions to the courts, appeals to authorities, and tireless advocacy by his family, his whereabouts remain unknown.'

Protests in London and Seoul

The BNM staged demonstrations in both the United Kingdom and South Korea to mark the occasion. Outside 10 Downing Street in London, protesters sought to draw the attention of the UK government, the United Nations, and international human rights bodies to what they described as the deteriorating socio-political situation in 'occupied' Balochistan.

Speakers at the London gathering condemned the 17-year enforced disappearance and alleged 'unlawful imprisonment and continuous torture' of Deen Mohammad, characterising it as a 'gross human rights violation.' BNM activists in South Korea similarly demanded accountability from Pakistani authorities and appealed to the international community for support.

Pattern of Reprisals Against Families

Front Line Defenders highlighted a broader pattern of reprisals against the families of the disappeared in Balochistan, noting that women — mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters — are frequently targeted. Sammi Deen Baloch herself has reportedly faced multiple raids on her home, surveillance, online defamation, and repeated arbitrary arrests in connection with her peaceful human rights work.

The BNM alleged that enforced disappearances have become 'a formalised state policy in occupied Balochistan, operating in blatant defiance of international law,' with thousands of Baloch families affected. The group also condemned life sentences reportedly handed down to BYC leader Mahrang Baloch, Sibghatullah Baloch, and BSO Chairman Balach Qadir through what it described as 'faceless trials.'

What Rights Groups Are Demanding

Front Line Defenders and Amnesty International have both called on Pakistan to comply with its obligations under international law, including disclosing the fate of Deen Mohammad and releasing him if he is being held without legal basis. Rights groups argue that Pakistan's failure to account for the disappeared after 17 years constitutes an ongoing violation of international human rights norms.

With international scrutiny intensifying and diaspora protests spreading across multiple continents, the case of Deen Mohammad Baloch is unlikely to recede from global human rights discourse in the near term.