Diana Stephanie Dehimat brings concerns over alleged enforced disappearances, restrictions on activists and pressure facing Dr. Shalee Baloch before the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council
GENEVA — Concerns surrounding the situation of prominent Baloch human rights defender Dr. Shalee Baloch, along with allegations of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and pressure on activists in Balochistan, were brought before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva during its 63rd regular session.
The statement was delivered by Ms Diana Stephanie Dehimat, whose participation is officially recorded by the United Nations during the Council’s session on 30 September 2026. The UN speaker record identifies Dehimat under the Jssor Youth Organization during the continuation of the Item 8 General Debate.
Her intervention placed particular emphasis on the situation facing Dr. Shalee Baloch, Central Organizer of the Baloch Women Forum, as well as reported cases involving Baloch women, minors and other human rights defenders.
The intervention came after an earlier effort by Dr Shalee Baloch to address the Council remotely by video.
According to information provided to Geneva Times, Dr Baloch had intended to participate in an earlier General Debate through a recorded video statement while keeping her face veiled because of security concerns and threats she reportedly received.
Geneva Times understands that the proposed video intervention was not accepted after concerns were raised regarding the requirement that the identity of a remote speaker be visually recognizable.
The circumstances have raised a broader question increasingly relevant to international human rights advocacy: how can global institutions reconcile procedural requirements for identifying speakers with the security realities faced by human rights defenders who say publicly revealing their identities may expose them to further danger?
While Dr. Baloch was ultimately unable to deliver the intervention herself in that format, the substance of the concerns was later placed before the Council through Diana Stephanie Dehimat.
“Serious Human Rights Concerns”
Addressing the Human Rights Council, Dehimat called attention to what the statement described as serious concerns affecting Dr. Baloch and other human rights defenders in Balochistan.
The intervention referred to continuing reports and allegations concerning enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings and restrictions imposed on peaceful activists.
It also drew attention to reported cases involving women and minors.
Among those specifically mentioned was Mahjabeen Baloch, described in the statement as a polio survivor who was reportedly forcibly disappeared and whose whereabouts had remained unknown.
The Council was also told that concerns had been raised about other Baloch women and minors, as well as the detention and prosecution of human rights activists.
The allegations cited in the intervention were presented as matters requiring further examination and independent investigation rather than as findings formally established by the Human Rights Council.
Spotlight on Dr Shalee Baloch
A central focus of the statement was the pressure reportedly faced by Dr. Shalee Baloch because of her human rights activities.
The intervention stated that Dr. Baloch had reportedly been placed on Pakistan’s Fourth Schedule, while restrictions had allegedly been imposed on her identity documents and financial accounts. It further referred to multiple criminal cases reportedly brought against her.
The statement urged the international community, and particularly the United Nations, to scrutinize these allegations and the broader environment confronting human rights defenders.
Dehimat told the Council:
“We urge the United Nations to closely examine these allegations, seek information on the whereabouts of disappeared persons, and encourage independent and impartial investigations into reported violations.”
The statement further called on Pakistan to uphold its international human rights obligations, protect human rights defenders, guarantee due process and ensure effective remedies for affected families.
When Security and Visibility Collide
The circumstances surrounding Dr. Baloch’s attempted video participation add another dimension to the case.
Human rights defenders working in sensitive political and security environments can face a difficult choice: international advocacy frequently requires visibility, while personal security may depend upon limiting that visibility.
According to the account provided to Geneva Times, Dr. Baloch chose to cover her face during her intended video intervention because she feared for her security after receiving threats.
The subsequent inability to use that video illustrates a difficult institutional dilemma.
The United Nations and participating organizations have legitimate requirements concerning the verification and identification of speakers. At the same time, defenders facing credible threats may regard anonymity or partial concealment as essential to their personal safety.
The case therefore reaches beyond a single intervention. It raises a practical question for international institutions about whether procedures can adequately accommodate human rights defenders operating under serious security constraints while maintaining the integrity of official proceedings.
A Voice Reaches the Council
Although Dr. Shalee Baloch did not ultimately appear on screen to deliver the intended statement herself, the concerns associated with her case nevertheless reached the chamber of the Human Rights Council.
Through Diana Stephanie Dehimat’s intervention, allegations concerning disappearances, detention, restrictions on activists and pressure against human rights defenders were formally voiced in Geneva.
For Dr Baloch and those seeking international attention to the issues raised in the statement, the episode illustrates both the possibilities and the limitations confronting activists attempting to bring sensitive human rights concerns before the international community.
The intervention concluded with an appeal for scrutiny, accountability and protection:
Pakistan was urged to uphold its international human rights obligations, protect human rights defenders, guarantee due process and provide effective remedies for affected families.
As the Human Rights Council continues its 63rd session in Geneva, the issues raised in the statement remain part of the wider international discussion surrounding the protection of human rights defenders, accountability for alleged violations and the treatment of individuals who seek to bring those allegations before international institutions.
Click the link below to watch Diana Stephanie Dehimat deliver the statement directly before the United Nations Human Rights Council on the official UN Web TV platform.
▶ Watch the full statement https://youtube.com/shorts/Gj144ltEVAg
