Free Balochistan Movement announces global protest to mark International Day of the Disappeared

Amid the ongoing enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by the Pakistani armed forces in Balochistan, the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM), a Baloch organisation advocating Baloch independence, has announced a series of protests in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States to mark International Day of the Disappeared, according to a report by local media outlet Balochvarna.

The protests will highlight the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, where the Pakistani military has detained and disappeared thousands of Baloch activists, students and civilians over the years, the report said.

These protests will be held in London, UK, as well as Germany and the Netherlands on August 30, followed by additional protests in Hamburg, Germany and Washington, D.C., USA on August 31.

Free Balochistan Movement announces protest on International Day of the Disappeared #EndEnforcedDisappearances #Balochistan https://t.co/xSGAXjrcl1 pic.twitter.com/liwJHkwcAh

— Free Balochistan Movement (@FreeBaluchMovt) August 25, 2024

The FBM spokesperson indicated that these events are aimed at raising global awareness about the suffering of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and calling on international organizations and governments to pay attention to the issue of human rights violations taking place in the region.

The FBM also said that the Pakistani state is engaged in systematic kidnappings, extrajudicial killings and suppression of Baloch voices demanding independence.

The report further stated that the Free Balochistan Movement is actively campaigning for an independent Balochistan and frequently organises protests, sit-ins, 24-hour vigils and seminars to highlight the atrocities committed by Iran and Pakistan against the Baloch nation.

The protests on August 30 and 31 are expected to be attended by the Baloch expatriate community, human rights groups and supporters of the Baloch cause.

The FBM also urged international bodies such as the United Nations to intervene and hold Pakistan accountable for human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, in Balochistan.

The International Day of Disappeared Persons is observed globally to honour those who have been forcibly disappeared and to demand justice for those whose whereabouts are unknown. FBM’s coordinated protests across the four countries are part of a broader strategy to internationalise the Baloch conflict and draw global attention to the situation in Balochistan.