Pakistan: Baloch Activists Sentenced in Secret Trials

The civic environment in Pakistan has deteriorated significantly, with the CIVICUS Monitor classifying the country’s space as repressed. According to recent assessments, ongoing pressures include the criminalization of human rights defenders, censorship of journalists, and targeted harassment of activists from ethnic and gender-based movements. These trends are particularly acute in Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where authorities have intensified measures against peaceful political expression.

In a development that has drawn international scrutiny, two prominent Baloch activists were handed life sentences following proceedings described as a secret trial. The convictions, combined with the recent forced disappearance of a defender’s relative and police raids on activists' homes, underscore a broader pattern of state action against dissent. Meanwhile, security forces have cracked down on the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, designating its members as terrorists and restricting media access to the region.

Controversial verdicts in Balochistan

On June 22, 2026, Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah Jee were convicted under the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act. They were charged with the alleged killing of a Frontier Corps officer during a national gathering in 2024. According to Amnesty International, the judgment appears to penalize Mahrang for her speech at the assembly and Shah Jee for his presence in a crowd, without clearly establishing their direct involvement in the fatal incident.

The two activists, members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, boycotted the later stages of the trial, citing the denial of a fair hearing and judicial bias. They were represented by a state-appointed counsel who allegedly did not consult with them, and they were eventually required to join via video link. UN experts have expressed grave alarm at the sentencing, describing it as a travesty of justice that misuses counter-terrorism laws to suppress peaceful association.

Pressure on Kashmiri dissent

In Pakistan-Administered Kashmir, authorities have moved to suppress the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee. This includes the arrest of its members and their formal designation as terrorists. The crackdown has been accompanied by significant restrictions on information flow, with internet access blocked in several areas. Journalists attempting to report on the situation have faced detention and physical restrictions, according to civil society reports.

These actions are part of a wider trend of repression that also includes the detention of organizers from the Aurat March in Karachi and the passage of laws in Punjab permitting secret terrorism trials. The cumulative effect of these measures is a shrinking space for political opposition and independent reporting across the country.

International response to repression

International bodies have reacted with concern to the recent legal and security actions in Pakistan. UN experts specifically highlighted the poor conditions of detention for Mahrang Baloch, including inadequate medical care and alleged pressure on her family. The Baloch Voice for Justice has also condemned the imprisonment of the activists, characterizing it as a serious attack on democratic rights and the struggle for justice in the province.

According to GN geopolitics/rights (en-US), the situation reflects a systemic effort to neutralize human rights defenders and ethnic minorities. As the government continues to deploy security forces in these regions, the forward question remains how international pressure will evolve and whether domestic legal challenges can effectively counter the current trend of criminalizing peaceful dissent.