Prominent Baloch rights activist, Mahrang Baloch, has been charged with terrorism, sedition, and murder in Pakistan after leading a demonstration that resulted in the deaths of three protesters. Baloch, who has long advocated for the Baloch ethnic group’s rights, was arrested along with other activists during a police raid following a sit-in protest demanding the release of detained support group members. The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders expressed concern over Baloch’s arrest. Baloch and other protesters have been charged with terrorism, sedition, and murder, according to police documents. Baloch, who was previously barred from traveling to the United States, has been detained in a jail in Quetta. The Balochistan province has been a hotspot for separatist insurgency for decades, with militants targeting state forces and foreign nationals in the mineral-rich region. Baloch’s activism began at age 16, following the alleged enforced disappearance and subsequent death of her father. In March, the Baloch Liberation Army staged a train siege that resulted in around 60 deaths, half of whom were separatists. The ongoing tensions and violence in Balochistan highlight the continued struggle for rights and autonomy in the region.
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