Balochistan's Cry for Justice: Activist Condemns State Repression
Sammi Deen Baloch denounces the illegal detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders, highlighting ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan. She criticizes the state's suppression of dissent and warns of the detrimental effects on democratic values and civil society, amid growing international concern about the region's troubling situation.
- Country:
- Pakistan
Human rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch has issued a stern condemnation of the prolonged and allegedly unlawful incarceration of leaders from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, including prominent figure Mahrang Baloch. In a statement posted on X, Sammi voiced serious concerns regarding the state's intensified crackdown on dissent, as well as the alarming pattern of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings reported in Balochistan.
Sammi emphasized, "The leadership of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee has been held in unlawful custody for nearly two months." She criticized the judiciary for its increasingly apathetic response, noting the ongoing protests across Balochistan as a reaction to these arrests and the broader human rights violations plaguing the region. Sammi underscored the systematic suppression of dissent and ascribed the state's actions to an apparent normalization of state violence.
"The state has normalized enforced disappearances and violence, now attempting to legitimize these human rights violations by imprisoning dissenters," she remarked. Sammi questioned the judiciary's role, portraying it less as an impartial arbiter and more as a passive observer. She asserted that the detained leaders are being punished simply for speaking out against the repression, pointing to the state's attempts to silence dissenting voices as historically ineffective in resolving Balochistan's issues.
Sammi warned of grave implications for suppressing peaceful political expression, stating, "Through such actions, the state undermines democratic values and renders peaceful, constitutional struggles meaningless." She highlighted that blocked paths to justice can erode public faith in political movements, fostering alienation that may eventually lead to heightened unrest. Her remarks come amid increasing international scrutiny of Balochistan, where human rights organizations have been consistently raising alarms over the situation.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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