The Baloch Social Media Activists (BSMA) on Sunday issued a statement marking six and a half years since the disappearance of Baloch activist Rashid Hussain, and six years since Pakistani authorities admitted to holding him in custody.
According to the group, Rashid Hussain was abducted on 26 December 2018 in Sharjah by individuals identifying themselves as UAE intelligence agents. The statement claims the abduction took place in front of family members, without legal proceedings or documentation.
BSMA said that Rashid was held incommunicado for six months before Pakistani authorities admitted on 22 June 2019 that he was in their custody. “This blatant and illegal deportation was carried out without a passport, legal documentation, or involvement of Interpol,” the group alleged, calling the transfer a “serious violation of international law and a grave human rights abuse by both UAE and Pakistan.”
The group claimed that Rashid’s family has endured ongoing persecution. It alleged that his uncle Ramzan Baloch and cousin Majeed Baloch were “brutally martyred” by Pakistani forces, and that other family members continue to be detained and tortured.
BSMA said legal efforts in the UAE have been ignored, and that appeals to international human rights bodies, including Amnesty International, have not resulted in any concrete action.
The statement also referred to a recent hearing in the Islamabad High Court, during which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Rashid’s transfer to Pakistan. However, his current whereabouts remain undisclosed.
“We will never forget or remain silent,” the group said, renewing its demand for Rashid’s “immediate and unconditional release” and calling on the international community to take urgent action.
BSMA called on the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others human rights bodies to “launch an independent investigation” into Rashid’s disappearance and current condition. It also urged the Pakistani government to disclose his location and ensure legal access, and demanded that the UAE be held accountable for its alleged role in the “illegal extradition.”
“The silence of the world has only emboldened oppressors,” the statement concluded. “Justice for Rashid Hussain is justice for all disappeared Baloch.”