Three international human rights organisations have filed a petition with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on behalf of Mahrang Baloch, leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), who is serving a life sentence in Pakistan following a conviction that rights groups describe as politically motivated. The petition, filed by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), Freedom House, and Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), urges the WGAD to declare her detention arbitrary under international law and to demand her immediate and unconditional release.

Background: The Conviction and Its Circumstances

On 22 June, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced Mahrang Baloch and three other activists to life imprisonment in connection with a case linked to the killing of a Frontier Corps official. The BYC and the petitioning organisations contend that the trial was marred by serious due process violations.

According to the petition, Baloch was arrested without a warrant or stated reason, was denied access to legal counsel for a full month after her arrest, and was not produced before a judge until more than three months into her detention. Rights groups argue these procedural failures render her imprisonment arbitrary under international human rights standards.

What the Petitioners Said

Hannah Van Dijcke, Legal and Research Officer at HRF, and Kaitie Holland, International Legal Associate, stated: 'Dr. Baloch's life sentence is a clear effort to silence the dissent of the Baloch people by targeting one of their most effective and prominent leaders.'

Ria Chakrabarty, Senior Policy Director at HfHR, said: 'Dr. Baloch has become a symbol for the struggle of the Baloch people to demand that the Pakistani state uphold the rights of the Baloch people. And her detention is yet another attempt by Pakistan to crush rights movements, like the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.'

Brian Tronic, Director of the Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners at Freedom House, called on Pakistani authorities to release Baloch immediately, adding: 'The life sentence imposed on Dr. Baloch is a grim reminder of Pakistan's persecution of human rights defenders, particularly those advocating for the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.'

BYC's Response and Broader Demands

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee welcomed the UN petition and expressed gratitude to the three organisations for bringing the case before the WGAD with urgency. The BYC further called on the wider international community, human rights bodies, and civil society to intensify pressure on Pakistani authorities — not only to secure Baloch's release but also to free all detained BYC leaders and end what it described as systematic persecution of human rights defenders in Balochistan.

Significance and What Comes Next

The WGAD, a panel of independent experts operating under the UN Human Rights Council, has the authority to issue opinions on whether detentions comply with international law, though its findings are not legally binding on member states. Pakistan has historically contested such findings. Notably, this petition comes amid sustained international scrutiny of Islamabad's treatment of Baloch activists, with several civil society voices describing Mahrang Baloch's sentencing as the most high-profile crackdown on the movement in recent years. The WGAD's response to the petition is now awaited.