June 24, 2026
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced prominent civil rights activist Mahrang Baloch and an associate to life in prison over the killing of a paramilitary soldier during a Jul 2024 protest.
Baloch's lawyer said he would appeal against the verdict.
Baloch, who has been detained since Mar 2025, has been a vocal opponent of enforced disappearances and alleged human rights violations in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, where ethnic separatists have waged a decades-long insurgency.
Human rights activists have criticised the trial, in which the accused were asked to appear via video link from prison but instead boycotted proceedings.
