Court sends Mahrang and other BYC leaders to jail following remand conclusion

A court in Quetta has ordered the transfer of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and several other leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) to jail custody following the expiration of their physical remand period. The detainees, who had been in custody for the past 15 days, were produced in court where the Counter-Terrorism Department requested an extension of their remand. However, the judge rejected this request and directed that all of the accused be moved to prison, signaling the end of their initial detention period.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch, the chief organiser of BYC, and other activists were initially arrested on 22 March 2025 under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (3MPO). This law allows the government to detain individuals considered a threat to public order without formal charges being filed. Critics, including human rights organizations, have long condemned 3MPO as a tool for suppressing dissent, as it enables indefinite detention without trial. Over the past six months, the orders against Mahrang and her colleagues have been repeatedly extended, raising concerns about the legality and transparency of their detention.

During the court hearing, Dr. Mahrang Baloch stated that investigators had failed to produce any evidence justifying their detention. She emphasized that the allegations made by the state, its institutions, and the provincial Chief Minister are entirely baseless. Despite her protests, the detention was extended multiple times, with her and others being held under 3MPO. In April, their detention was further prolonged by another month, even as authorities withdrew detention orders for around 150 other political activists in Balochistan, leaving Mahrang and a smaller group still under detention.

The Balochistan High Court has reportedly dismissed constitutional petitions filed by the detainees seeking their release, citing the authority of the provincial government to detain individuals under the ordinance. With the end of their physical remand period, the court has now directed that Mahrang and the other detainees be transferred to jail custody. Their legal representatives have raised concerns about due process, noting that formal notifications have not been properly issued and that no judicial review board has convened as required by law after the 90-day detention period.

Supporters of the detainees, along with civil society groups and human rights organizations, have voiced strong criticism of the prolonged use of 3MPO. They argue that such actions violate constitutional guarantees related to freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, and other fundamental rights. Many contend that the detention of Mahrang Baloch and her colleagues represents an unjust suppression of political dissent and raises serious questions about the rule of law and respect for human rights in Balochistan.