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Release Baba Jan: Appeal to the Pakistani and Gilgit-Bltistan Government

Baba Jan is a political activist in Gilgit-Bltistan facing a life sentence 
along 12 more at Gahkooch jail. He is a member federal committee Awami Workers 
Party and president of Progressive Youth Front. He was sentenced on the charges 
of rioting and organizing illegal rallies in 2010. His real “crime” was to help 
the victims of Atta Abad Lake to receive a fair compensation. The lake was 
established after the land sliding that blocked the path of the river.

In 2010, when the people of Ali Abad, the main city of Hunza valley, protested 
for fair compensation for all the genuine victims of the Atta Abad Lake, police 
opened fire killing two protesters, the father and son. There was very strong 
protest immediately and people rebelled. Baba Jan was not there at the time. He 
later joined the protest and tried to cool down the temperature of the mood of 
people by organizing rallies and demonstrations. It was promised that the 
police case would be registered against the responsible police office for 
firing on the peaceful demonstrators. 

Instead, various police cases were registered against Baba Jan along over 100 
activists from various political parties under anti-terrorist laws.  
Anti-terrorist laws are very often used against political activists in Pakistan 
and Gilgit-Baltistan on political grounds. 

Baba Jan and his 12 colleagues were sentenced to life in 2014 by the 
anti-terrorist court, never heard earlier that demonstrators would be sentenced 
to life for protesting. The High Court of GB acquitted Baba Jan later upon his 
appeal against the verdict. 

Baba Jan contested the general elections in 2015 and came second from his home 
constituency. However, when a bye election was to be held again in the same 
constituency, after winner was made governor of GB, and it emerged that no one 
can match the popularity of Baba Jan, the government went to Supreme Court and 
asked that their appeal for Baba Jan acquittal must be heard before the 
election and the election was postponed. 

Later the Supreme Court restored the life sentence of Baba Jan, many believed 
the decision was taken on the political basis to keep Baba Jan out of the 
contest. 

The Supreme Court would hear final review petition of Baba Jan on 25th May 
2017. 

This is to demand from the government of GB to withdraw their appeal at the 
Supreme Court and plead at the Supreme Court for the release of Baba Jan and 
all others and to release all of them. 

This is to demand the publication of the judicial commission report on the 
incident and implementation on the recommendations. The Judicial commission was 
established by the GB government to investigate the whole incident. The report 
was never published.

First signatures – list to be completed soon

Özlem Barin, Socialisme 21, Belgium

Olivier Besancenot, spokesperson, NPA, France

Patrick Braouezec, Honorary Member of the Parliament, France

Raúl Camargo, MP Podemos Madrid, militant of Anticapitalistas, Spain

Léon Crémieux, Trade-Union activist Sud Aérien/Solidaires

Alex de Jong, Editor, Grenzelos, The Netherlands

Enrique de los Reyes, Political Consultant on Peace Process between the RWP-M 
and the GRP, Philippines

Penelope Duggan, Editor, International Viewpoint

Patrick Farbiaz, SDC, France

Odile Hélier, France

Samy Johsua, France

Angela Klein, Editor Soz, Germany

Alain Krivine, former European MP, France

Piero Maestri, Communia Network, former provincial counselor Milano, Italia

Christian Mahieux, Trade-Unionist SUD-Rail [Solidaires], magazine Les 
Utopiques, France

Noël Mamère, mayor of Bègles, MP, France

Gippo Mukendi Ngandu, teacher syndalist, Italia

Armelle Perthus, spokesperson, NPA, France

Christine Poupin, spokesperson, NPA, France

Philippe Poutou, candidate, presidential election 2017, France

Réseau Sortir du colonialisme (SDC), France

Pierre Rousset, Europe solidaire sans frontières (ESSF), France

Catherine Samary, economist, France

Edgard Sanchez, Partido Revolucionarios de les Trabajadores (PRT), Mexico

Jakob Schäfer, trade Union activist, member of ISO, Germany

Glauber Sezerino, sociologue, association Autres Brésils, France

Jonathan Simmel, parliamentary candidate, Red-Green Alliance, Denmark

Eric Toussaint, spokesperson, CADTM-International

Roseline Vachetta, former European MP, France

Achin Vanaik, Retired Professor of International Relations, University of 
Delhi, India

Christian Varin, New Anticapitalist Party (NPA), France

Pedro Vianna, poet, writer, civil society activist, France

Thomas Weyts, SAP-LCR Belgium

International appeal launched by Farooq Tariq, Spokesperson Awami Workers Part
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