41 Days of Detention and Uncertainty for a Baloch Citizen Following Nationwide Protests in Chabahar; Continued Lack of Response from Authorities
41 Days of Detention and Uncertainty for a Baloch Citizen Following Nationwide Protests in Chabahar; Continued Lack of Response from Authorities
According to the Balochistan Human Rights Group, today, Wednesday 18 Feb 2026 , forty-one days have passed since the arrest of a Baloch citizen following the evening protests on 8 January 2026 , in the city of Chabahar. There is still no clear information regarding her legal status or fate, and despite repeated follow-ups, her family has received no convincing or transparent response from judicial and security authorities.
The identity of this Baloch citizen has been confirmed as Roya Raeisi , a 26-year-old resident of Chabahar.
According to informed sources, she was arrested by plainclothes security forces during anti-government protests while standing away from the main crowd and without participating in chanting slogans or engaging in protest activities. Despite more than forty days having passed, she remains in detention in a state of legal uncertainty.
Roya Raeisi is currently being held in Chabahar Prison. However, no official explanation has been provided regarding the charges against her, the legal grounds for her arrest, or the authority responsible for her case. Repeated visits by her relatives to judicial and security offices in Chabahar and Zahedan have been met with deflection, vague responses, and a lack of transparency. No precise information regarding the status or progress of her case has been made available to the family.
This situation constitutes a clear violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to personal liberty , the right to a fair and prompt trial , the prohibition of arbitrary detention , and the right to be informed of charges, all of which are guaranteed under international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Balochistan Human Rights Group expresses deep concern over the continued prolonged detention without formal charges and without access to legal counsel or regular contact with family members. The group calls for the immediate release of Roya Raeisi or the prompt referral of her case to a competent and independent court in full compliance with due process and her right to defense.
According to the annual report of the Balochistan Human Rights Group, at least 978 individuals were arrested in Balochistan during 2025. Among them, 394 individuals lacked identity documents or birth certificates. The report also recorded 19 cases of group arrests in which more than one person was detained simultaneously, and in 12 of those cases, more than five individuals were arrested in a single operation.
The Balochistan Human Rights Group once again emphasizes that arbitrary arrests, prolonged legal uncertainty of detainees, and the lack of accountability by authorities represent systematic human rights violations in the region of Balochistan and calls for an immediate end to these practices and accountability for the responsible officials.
