Sep 25, 2012

Protest In Geneva Denounces Violations Of Human Rights Of Baloch People


A group of protesters from several Baloch organizations gathered on 24 September in front of the Palais des Nations to denounce the ongoing human rights violations against the Baloch people in Iran and Pakistan.

On 24 September 2012 UNPO Members West Balochistan and Balochistan staged a joint demonstration with activists of the Balochistan Human Right Organization (BHRO) and baloch leaders Nasser Boladai and Noordin Mengal to protest against executions, forced disappearances, and extra judicial killings in Balochistan in front of the United Nations Palais des Nations, Geneva. They were holding banners protesting the killing of Baloch at the hands of Pakistan and Iran security forces.

They condemned the brutal police and paramilitary operations in Balochistan that resulted in the death of scores of innocent civilians. The siege of Baloch towns by the police and military forces have caused the worst forms of human rights abuses in occupied Balochistan.

They held placards with the pictures of Baloch victims, for instance Mr Abdula Malik Mulazadeh who was killed by the Iranian regime in Pakistan, and Wahid Shahbakhsh and Nasir Shanbizahi who were executed without trial. They also held pictures of Baloch Civil right activist and blogger, Yaghob Mehrnihad, who was arrested in March 2008 and executed on 4th September 2008. He was the first blogger to be executed for his activities as a blogger and human right activist. They were also holding pictures of Baloch political prisoner like Mr. Ismail Mulazadeh, Sakhi Rigi, Ahmad Zafar Diddgaah, and Mohammad Sabir Malik Raisi, the latter a Baloch youth who was arrested in 2009 when he was 16 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He has now been transferred to an unknown place in Iran and is thus deprived from any contacts with his family.

The organizations denounced the arrests, kidnappings and forced disappearances of Baloch student teachers, journalists and political and cultural activists. They appealed to the international community to take action against the continuous human rights violations happening in Balochistan.