Killing of Mr. Ibrahim Arman Loni & arbitrary detention of Ms. Gulalai Ismail and several PTM members

Arbitrary detention / Release

Pakistan

February 14, 2019

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, apartnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requestsyour urgent intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.

Brief description of the information:

TheObservatory has been informed by reliable sources about the beating andsubsequent killing of Mr. Ibrahim Arman Loni, a teacher and PashtunTahaffuz Movement (PTM)[1] core committee member in BalochistanProvince, the arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention, and subsequent releaseof Ms. Gulalai Ismail[2], a Pashtun and women’srights defender, and the arbitrary detention of 17 other PTM members.

Accordingto the information received, on February 2, 2019, Mr. Ibrahim Arman Loni wastargeted by several police officers, who beat him in public with a rifle butt,giving blows to his head and neck. Mr. Ibrahim Arman Loni had just participatedin a peaceful sit-in protest against a bomb blast at Loralai police station,Balochistan Province. His co-workers were prevented from visiting him in thehospital. By the time they managed to do so, a few hours later, he had passedaway.

On February5, 2019, Ms. Gulalai Ismail and other members of the PTM were arrested outsidethe National Press Club in Islamabad while they were taking part in a protestto denounce the killing of Mr. Ibrahim Arman Loni. Ms.Gulalai Ismail was first taken to G9 Women's Police Station before being movedto an unknown location. Seventeen of the PTM members arrested[3]were sent to Central Jail Rawalpindi (also known as Adiala jail) under chargesof violating Section 3 (1) of the 1960 West Pakistan Maintenance of PublicOrder Ordinance (MPO) relating to “anti-state slogans”.

On February6, 2019, Islamabad police released Ms. Gulalai Ismail. After her release, Ms.Gulalai Ismail said that she had not been officially arrested. During herdetention, she was separated from the other PTM members who had been arrested,was not charged with any offense, and was not allowed to contact her lawyer.

On February7, 2019, 15 of the 17 PTM members were released from jail and the chargesagainst them were withdrawn. At the time of the publication of this Appeal, Mr.Abdullah Nangyal and Mr. Idrees Mehsud, one of PTM leaders, arestill detained in Adiala jail.

The Observatory condemns in the strongest terms thekilling of Mr. Arman Loni and urges the Pakistani authorities to carry out athorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into the killing withoutundue delay and to hold those responsible accountable.

The Observatory also condemns the arrest andharassment of Ms. Gulalai Ismail and the above-mentioned PTM members. TheObservatory also recalls that this is not the first time Ms. Gulalai Ismail hasbeen targeted for her human rights activities and that since October 2018 shehas been placed on Pakistan’s Exit Control List and prevented from leaving the country.

The Observatory calls upon the Pakistani authoritiesto immediately and unconditionally release Messrs. Abdullah Nangyal and IdreesMahsud and end any acts of harassment, including at the judicial level, againstthem, Ms. Gulalai Ismail and all human rights defenders in the country.

Actionsrequested:

Pleasewrite to the authorities in Pakistan, urging them to:

i.Guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical integrity and psychologicalwell-being of Ms. Gulalai Ismail, Mr. Abdullah Nangyal and Mr. Idrees Mehsudand all human rights defenders in Pakistan;

ii. Immediately and unconditionally releaseMr. Abdullah Nangyal and Mr. Idrees Mehsud, as their detention is arbitrary since it only aims at punishing them fortheir legitimate human rights activities;

iii. Carryout an immediate, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into thekilling of Mr. Arman Loni in order to identify all those responsible, bringthem before an independent tribunal, and sanction them as provided by the law;

iv. Put anend to all acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - andobstacles to freedom of movement against Ms. Gulalai Ismail, Mr. AbdullahNangyal and Mr. Idrees Mehsud, all PTM members and all human rights defendersin Pakistan, and ensure that they are able to carry out their legitimateactivities without any hindrance and fear of reprisals in all circumstances;

v. Conformto the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted bythe General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particularwith Articles 1 and 12.2;

vi. Ensurein all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments ratified by Pakistan.

Addresses:

· Mr. Arif Alvi, Presidentof Pakistan; Fax: +92 51 920 8479; Email: secretary@president.gov.pk

· Mr. ImranKhan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Minister in Charge for Interior and NarcoticsControl; Fax: +92 51 922 04 04 ; Email: info@pmo.gov.pk

· Mr. Shehryar Khan Afridi,Minister of State for Interior, Fax: +92 51 920 2624, Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com

· AmbassadorFarukh Amil, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva,Switzerland; Fax:022 734 80 85; Email: mission.pakistan@ties.itu.int

Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassyof Pakistan located in your country.

***

Paris-Geneva, February 14, 2019

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of thisappeal in your reply.

The Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is toprevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDHand OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the EuropeanUnion Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civilsociety.

[1] PTMis an alliance that calls for the de-mining of the former tribal areas, greaterfreedom of movement in these areas, an end to extrajudicial killings, enforceddisappearances and arbitrary detentions, and for the accountability ofperpetrators of such acts within a truth and reconciliation framework.

[2] Ms.Gulalai Ismail was awarded the 'Reach all Women in War' Anna Politovskaya Awardin 2017. She is the founder of the Seeds of Peace network and co-founded theAware Girls NGO in 2002, an organisation aiming at strengthening the leadershipof young people, especially women and girls, enabling them to act as agents ofchange for women empowerment and peace building.

[3] Messrs. Abdullah Nangyal s/oRehmatullah, Syed Badshah s/o Minallah Khan, Mohammad Idrees Mehsud s/oMohammad Alam, Hidayat Wazir s/o Haq Nawaz Khan, Rehmat Khan s/oAbdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman s/o Gul Zadeen, Muhammad Zubair s/oMuhammad Afzal, Sameeullah s/o Rehmatullah, Abdul Jabbar s/o Fazal Din,Amanullah s/o Salah Aldin, Saifullah s/o Noor Zada, MuhammadSadeeq s/o Rasool Khan, Qasim Jan s/o Ameen Jan, Hunaryar s/oZahir Shah, Wahid Khan s/o Saleem Shah, Rehmatullah s/o Bakhtiarand Fidullah s/o Gul Ramzan.