United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday sharply condemned the life sentence imposed on Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch woman human rights defender and leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta, Pakistan. The experts described the verdict as “unjustified” and a “travesty of justice,” raising serious alarm over the conduct of the trial and the broader pattern of repression targeting Baloch activists.

The Conviction and Its Context

The Anti-Terrorism Court handed down the life sentence on 22 June, convicting four activists, including Mahrang Baloch, in connection with a case linked to the killing of a Frontier Corps official. The verdict drew immediate international condemnation, with UN experts pointing to what they described as a fundamentally flawed legal process.

The experts noted that the trial was conducted inside a prison, with the accused denied the opportunity to appear in person. Mahrang reportedly raised concerns over remote video proceedings and their impact on her ability to mount an effective defence. She was also, according to the experts, denied the right to choose her own legal counsel and was instead represented by a state-appointed lawyer.

What the UN Experts Said

“Dr. Baloch’s punishment is a travesty of justice, following an unfair trial and the misuse of counter-terrorism and murder charges to suppress peaceful protest and freedoms of association and expression,” the experts said in a statement.

They expressed particular concern over the volume of cases pending against her, noting that nearly 50 police complaints had reportedly been filed against Mahrang, with hearings in several cases still ongoing. “We are dismayed by the number of cases Dr. Baloch has faced, which aim to intimidate, punish, and deter her and other Baloch activists advocating for victims of human rights violations,” they added.

The experts also flagged serious concerns over Mahrang’s health and the conditions of her detention, including inadequate access to medical care and alleged pressure on her family.

Broader Pattern of Repression in Balochistan

The UN experts situated the conviction within a wider and continuing pattern of intimidation targeting Baloch civil society. They warned that the convictions risk “silencing independent voices in Balochistan and further shrinking civic space.”

“Women human rights defenders have led protests against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings and demanded accountability. In a deeply patriarchal security context, their leadership has challenged entrenched norms. The misuse of counter-terrorism measures has deeply stigmatised them and heightened risks of gendered threats and reprisals,” the experts said.

Notably, the experts also flagged a separate incident involving another prominent Baloch woman activist, Sammi Deen Baloch, whose family home was reportedly subjected to an unlawful raid following repeated visits by large numbers of security personnel — described as part of the same pattern of intimidation.

International Law Obligations Cited

The experts called on Pakistani authorities to comply fully with their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and their own constitutional guarantees. They also urged Islamabad to prevent the misuse of counter-terrorism legislation against peaceful activists.

“The right to fair trial under international law must always be respected, even where national security or counter-terrorism measures are invoked,” the experts said. The statement signals mounting international pressure on Pakistan over its treatment of Baloch dissent, at a time when enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the province remain a subject of sustained global scrutiny.