Sammi Deen Baloch () is a leader of the

Baloch Yakjehti Committee The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC; ; ) or Balochistan Yakjehti Committee ('Balochistan Unity Committee'), is a human rights movement established in response to alleged state human rights abuses in Balochistan, Pakistan. The BYC's roots can be tra ...

(BYC). She serves as the General Secretary of

Voice for Baloch Missing Persons The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) is a non-governmental organization which represents family members of people who have been subject to enforced disappearance in Pakistan's province of Balochistan. VBMP records data on enforced disappe ...

(VBMP). Over the last 15 years, Sammi has been a prominent advocate for the rights of

Baloch people The Baloch or Baluch ( bal, بلۏچ, Balòc) are an Iranian people who live mainly in the Balochistan region, located at the southeasternmost edge of the Iranian plateau, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. There ...

, including the case of her father, Deen Muhammad Baloch, and other missing individuals from Balochistan. Her advocacy has drawn attention to

enforced disappearances An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organi ...

extrajudicial killings An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whethe ...

, and other human rights abuses in Balochistan. In recognition of her efforts, she was honored with the

Front Line Defenders Front Line Defenders, or The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, is an Irish-based human rights organisation founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2001 to protect those who work non-violently to uphold the human rights ...

Award 2024 in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. In July 2024, Sammi, along with Sabiha Baloch and other members of the BYC, was arrested during the Baloch Raji Muchi protests in

Gwadar Gwadar (Balochi/ ur, ) is a port city with located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman. Gwadar is the 100th largest city of Pakistan, according to the 2 ...

, where security forces killed three protesters and injured dozens.

Activism

Sammi is involved in advocating against enforced disappearances in Balochistan by law enforcement agencies. She walked from Quetta to Islamabad in 2014, demanding the safe release of her father, Dr. Deen Muhammad, and other missing individuals. Since then, she has played a key role in the Baloch resistance movement, addressing issues such as enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and human rights violations in Balochistan by Pakistani institutions. Sammi Baloch has been honored with the Asia Pacific Human Rights Award for 2024, presented by

. The award ceremony took place in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

. On September 8, 2024, Sammi was barred from leaving the country while she was about to travel from Pakistan to Oman. She was placed on the

Exit Control List The Exit Control Lists (ECL; ur, ) is a system of border control maintained by the Government of Pakistan under Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance, 1981. The people on the list are prohibited from leaving Pakistan. Priorities 1. Exit from P ...

(ECL) by authorities. According to Baluch, no specific reason was provided for the travel restriction, and is believed that she was stopped due to her human rights activism in Balochistan.

References

Sammi deen Baloch Arrested in Karachi 24.03.2025 {{DEFAULTSORT:Baloch, Sammi Baloch activists Women human rights activists People from Balochistan, Pakistan 1998 births Living people 21st-century Pakistani women Pakistani human rights activists Pakistani women activists 21st-century Pakistani people Baloch women