FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) Condemns Shameful Life Sentence for Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah by Pakistani Authorities
The Hague, The Netherlands – June 23, 2026 – The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) expresses its strongest condemnation regarding the reprehensible life sentence handed down by a Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court to prominent human rights defender Dr. Mahrang Baloch and her colleague, Sibghatullah Shah .
This verdict is a blatant miscarriage of justice and a devastating blow to the rule of law in Pakistan. Dr. Baloch, a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has been a fearless and peaceful voice for the Baloch people, courageously campaigning against enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and state repression in Balochistan . Her only crime is her dedication to exposing grave human rights violations .
The IHRF is deeply alarmed by the egregious procedural irregularities and denial of due process that characterized this “secret trial” . A proceeding that denies the accused the right to effectively cross-examine witnesses or present a proper defense, held in a “faceless court” on jail premises, cannot be considered a legitimate judicial process . This is not justice; it is a politically motivated weaponization of the judicial system to silence dissent and intimidate human rights defenders .
We echo the calls of Amnesty International and other international bodies, who have condemned this verdict as an affront to the right to a fair trial . The state’s cynical misuse of anti-terrorism laws to prosecute peaceful activism represents a dangerous escalation in the crackdown on fundamental freedoms in Pakistan .
The IHRF urges the Government of Pakistan to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah, and to ensure their safety and well-being.
We call upon the international community, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, to:
1. Denounce this injustice and place Pakistan under close scrutiny for its escalating human rights violations.
2. Demand transparency in all legal proceedings against human rights defenders and a full investigation into the circumstances of this case.
3. Pressure Pakistani authorities to cease the persecution of peaceful activists and uphold their international obligations regarding due process and fundamental rights.
The IHRF stands in solidarity with Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sibghatullah Shah, and all peaceful activists in Pakistan who risk their lives for justice and human dignity.
"The years from 2018 to 2022 were also the last phase of hybrid-politics in Pakistan: Mr. Khan’s government was the last that enjoyed a close to equal status with
the military in decision-making...The country’s parliamentary or constitutional democracy has now effectively turned into constitutional militarism in
which Parliament has turned willingly into a junior partner to the armed forces ready
to bring about legal changes that can only further strengthen the GHQ’s control of the
state without declaring a martial law." https://t.co/cbLrfX5M0Y
Editorial: "There must also be some reflection on why Balochistan continues to slip out of the hands of those tasked with its administration and governance. The state keeps reiterating the role of hostile foreign actors in fomenting unrest, yet seems to be short on ideas on how to prevent the ingress of such actors and their ideologies in Baloch society."
https://t.co/iQR1mK57Uk
ڈاکٹر رزاق صابر اور ڈاکٹر منظور بلوچ بلوچستان کے اُن قیمتی علمی و سماجی اثاثوں میں شامل ہیں جنہوں نے اپنی زندگی تعلیم، شعور اور سماجی خدمت کے لیے وقف کر رکھی ہے۔ ان کے حوالے سے سامنے آنے والی خبریں نہایت تشویشناک اور افسوسناک ہیں۔
ہم ریاستی اور غیر ریاستی تمام فریقوں سے اپیل کرتے ہیں کہ نہتے شہریوں، خواتین، بچوں، اساتذہ، سیاسی و انسانی حقوق کے کارکنان، تاجروں اور عام لوگوں کو ہر قسم کے تصادم اور کارروائیوں سے محفوظ رکھا جائے۔ بحثیت ایک سیاسی کارکن کے ھم اپیل کرتے ہیں کہ انسانی اقدار کا احترام یقینی بنایا جائے اور اس تنازعے کا حل طاقت کے بجائے سیاسی اور جمہوری ذرائع سے تلاش کیا جائے۔
ہم دعاگو ہیں کہ ڈاکٹر رزاق صابر اور ڈاکٹر منظور بلوچ جلد اور بحفاظت اپنے اہلِ خانہ کے پاس واپس لوٹ آئیں۔
A renowned Baloch professor and poet Ghamkhawar Hayat was killed today in Nushki, Balochistan, by death squads. Balochistan bleeds. Within the span of just 3 days, senior academics from Gwadar University have been abducted, the house of one of the senior leaders of Balochistan National Party , Rauf Mengal, was raided and his family members were harassed in order to intimidate them.
Academics, politicians, students, and lawyers no one is safe in Balochistan. When the voice of intellect is silenced, it is not just a person that is killed it is the future of an entire people.
Security forces launched an intelligence-based search operation and raided various suspected locations for the safe recovery of the senior officials of Gwadar University. However, no trace of the four missing persons has been found so far. https://t.co/GMo20f75EJ
Just spoke with 3 highly influential figures deeply embedded in Pakistan’s decision-making circles. Every single one of them said the same thing with full confidence: “The masses will just bicker for a few days over this massive petroleum price hike… then move on.”God Save The Queen! 👑