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Pakistan authorities registered another FIR against Mahrang Baloch, the central organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and 80 participants in a gathering held in the Tepul area of Naseerabad.
The event was a part of the BYC's awareness campaign across Balochistan in preparation for a national gathering on January 25 in Dalbandin, commemorating "Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day" as cited by The Balochistan Post. According to the FIR, the participants violated Section 144, which forbids public gatherings that are mandated by the government. The BYC, however, charged that authorities were selectively implementing these rules to stifle nonviolent protest. The group said that state agents abuse the law to target Baloch people because of their identity and resistance to what they call "ongoing repression," according to The Balochistan Post. In the last few weeks, Mahrang Baloch has been the subject of two FIRs. Other BYC members and she were accused of similar offences in a formal complaint that was filed in Mastung last week. The accusations, according to the BYC, are "baseless" and are part of a larger effort to suppress peaceful political activism and dissent in Balochistan. The most recent FIRs coincide with an increase in global concern over Mahrang's security. The Balochistan Post said that a special working group of the United Nations has issued a warning that her life and freedom are under "serious threat." UN specialists described claims of harassment, arbitrary travel restrictions, and false charges intended to deter Mahrang from her human rights activism in an official message to the Pakistani government, according to the Balochistan Post. The UN letter described several FIRs that were filed against her, claiming that they were intended to stifle her activities and included charges of sedition and terrorism. The letter also mentioned an incident at the Karachi Airport where Mahrang's passport was seized and she was allegedly denied access to New York for a TIME event honouring her work. According to the UN Working Group, these acts are part of a larger trend of harassment directed at Baloch activists, especially women. They urged Pakistani authorities to protect Mahrang Baloch and address the issues brought forth, warning that "her life, liberty, and personal safety remain at a heightened risk." (ANI)
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