QUETTA: Dr. Sabiha Baloch, Central Leader of Baloch Yakjahti Committee (BYC), has strongly condemned the continued imprisonment of Advocate Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali, stating that both have now spent 100 days behind bars for raising their voices against injustice and enforced disappearances.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, Dr. Sabiha Baloch raised pointed questions about the nature of their detention.
“Is standing with the oppressed a crime? Is speaking for fundamental rights a crime?” she wrote.
The BYC leader described both Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali as legal professionals who have consistently defended families of the forcibly disappeared and other vulnerable communities, adding that their work reflects a clear commitment to justice, accountability and dignity.
Dr. Sabiha Baloch warned that their continued imprisonment sends a dangerous message to civil society.
“Their imprisonment signals a shrinking space for dissent and creates fear among those who pursue justice through lawful means,” she said.
In her statement, Dr. Sabiha Baloch cited multiple international legal frameworks she says Pakistan is violating through the continued detention of both individuals.
She referenced the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees freedom of expression, fair trial rights and protection from arbitrary detention under Articles 9, 14 and 19. She also cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) under Articles 9 and 19, as well as the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which require that lawyers perform their duties without intimidation or interference.
“These obligations demand immediate compliance,” Dr. Sabiha Baloch stated”
The BYC leader called for the immediate suspension of their sentences and their unconditional release. She further demanded that authorities ensure a fair and transparent judicial review, uphold due process guarantees and end what she described as the misuse of legal provisions against human rights defenders.
The statement was also directed at international human rights organizations including the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Asia), Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch (HRW), urging them to take notice of the case.
