Front Line Defenders, a prominent human rights organization based in Ireland, has issued a strong call for the immediate release of detained Baloch activists and the safe treatment of injured protesters following a violent crackdown by Pakistan Army in Gwadar. The organization expressed grave concern over the recent actions taken by Pak authorities against peaceful demonstrators at a Baloch National Gathering.
Front Line Defenders said that Pak forces have detained several Baloch activists, including Sammi Deen Baloch, a well-known human rights worker, and moved them to undisclosed locations. The organization has raised alarms about the well-being of these detainees, fearing for their health and safety.
In response to these developments, Front Line Defenders has demanded the immediate release of all detained and missing Baloch activists from Gwadar and throughout Pak-occupied-Balochistan. The organization is also calling for assurances regarding their protection and the provision of medical aid and health facilities to dozens of injured protesters.
Front Line Defenders had previously honored Sammi Deen Baloch with the prestigious Front Line Defenders Award 2024 for the Asia and Pacific region earlier this year. The organization’s founder and UN special representative, Mary Lawlor, has also condemned the violent crackdown and the arrest of Baloch political activists.
Lawlor has called for their prompt release and urged Pakistan’s Geneva delegation to press the Pak Army to fulfill its human rights commitments to the United Nations. He emphasized the need for the Pak Army to ensure that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s right to peaceful protest is upheld and to secure the recovery of all detained and missing activists from Gwadar.