Imprisoned Baloch activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch writes from Hudda Jail in Balochistan to detail her two life sentences under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act, Genocide Watch reported.
Dr. Baloch describes her imprisonment as an extension of a lifelong confrontation with state violence in Balochistan. She states in her letter that her understanding of these conditions began long before her own detention.
Her father, Ghaffar Baloch, was imprisoned in the same facility, and she visited him there as a child with Eid cards. Ghaffar Baloch was abducted in 2009 and again in 2011 before being found dead with marks of torture. Her brother was abducted and released in December 2017, then forcibly disappeared again in November 2022.
“The pain of my childhood eventually became a responsibility that shaped my life,” Dr. Baloch writes in the letter published by Genocide Watch. She founded the Baloch Yakjehti Committee to organize demonstrations against enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture.
Authorities arrested her in March 2025 at a peaceful sit-in protesting the deaths of three individuals killed at a demonstration the previous day. Subsequent legal proceedings resulted in her conviction under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Dr. Baloch’s trial took place inside prison walls while she participated exclusively via video link. Observers and journalists faced denial of access, while the accused could not fully participate or consult legal counsel properly.
Despite deteriorating health behind bars, Dr. Baloch maintains her stance on peaceful activism. She highlights the ongoing detentions of colleagues including Beebow Baloch and Gulzadi Baloch, alongside the forced disappearance of Nazar Mari Baloch. “We chose peaceful political struggle because we believe that injustice must be confronted through truth, collective strength, and a commitment to human dignity,” she writes.
The Human Rights Foundation demands the immediate release of Dr. Baloch and calls for adequate medical care during her detention. Dr. Baloch concludes her letter with an appeal to supporters globally.
“I write with the hope that the international community will not allow the suffering of the Baloch people to remain unseen,” she states. “I ask you to listen to the families searching for their loved ones, examine the evidence of human rights violations, and stand for the principles of justice, dignity, and accountability.”
