December 04, 2007

Ms. Irene Khan,
Secretary General,
Amnesty International

Re : Arrest of Mr. Herbiyar Marri in London, UK

Dear Ms. Irene Khan,

The World Sindhi Institute expresses grave and serious concern on the arrest of Mr. Herbiyar Marri , brother of Mr. Balach Marri , a leading activist of Baloch struggle for human rights who was brutally killed in a military operation by Pakistan Military on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area a fortnight ago.

The fate of Mr. Herbiyar Marri is a matter of enormous tension and unrest among the Baloch people and their friends and supporters through out the world. He has been under threat of extradition from the United Kingdom to Pakistan . Mr. Marri was arrested today at his London home by British authorities, his house has been cordoned off, his property has been searched and his family evacuated. Mr. Herbiyar is a Pakistan national and not a British subject. This action has no doubt been provoked by the Pakistan government, which is responsible for the assassination of Mr. Herbiyar Marri's older brother Balach Marri and has been actively harassing members of Mr. Marri's family. In the same instance, Pakistan is now requesting the extradition of Mr. Mehran Baluch, who is a U.K. citizen and has been involved in no military or other criminal activity vis à vis Pakistan.

Amnesty International has documented torture, possible extra-judicial executions and other unlawful killings and disappearances in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Amnesty International has also accused the Bush administration of continuing to turn a blind eye to many instances of abuse by countries cited by the State Department for appalling human rights records in the name of national security.

We ask your reputable organization to intervene in order to safeguard and protect human rights activists such as members of the Marri family. This family holds the keys to the future of a peaceful, secular and democratic Pakistan. If the U.K. authorities bend to the request of Pakistan for the extradition of either Mr. Herbiyar Marri or Mr. Mehran Baluch, this would seem to be favoring an un-democratic military-run Pakistan.

We ask for your understanding and action to protect Baloch human rights activists and their legitimate defence for the basic and fundamental rights of Baloch people in Pakistan.

Sincerely,
Maqbool Aliani
Member Board of Directors World Sindhi Institute;
And Vice President Baloch Society of North America
Washington , DC
USA