Cambridge Amnesty Protests Silence on Pakistani Government Human Rights Abuses
The ‘cage campaign’ took place on King’s College lawn, where PhD students spoke out against the university “not taking the threat seriously”.
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Cambridge University Amnesty International held a rally on Sunday 23 February 2025 in solidarity with Balochistan and against human rights violations in the region. Student activists sat in a cage on King’s College lawn to call attention to the issue and to campaign for investigation by the British government into it.
The organisation demands that the British Parliament investigate arms and equipment supplies to the Pakistani military. It also demands targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes on Pakistani officials credibly implicated in enforced disappearances and other human rights violations.
Roshaan Khattack, a Cambridge University PhD student and campaigner, was one of the guest speakers. In December 2024, Khattak was threatened for his activism by an alleged agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. He received threatening messages via X referencing his criticism of Pakistan’s human rights abuses and his imprisoned cousin, Idris Khattack. In an interview with Varsity, he charged the University with ‘not taking the threat seriously’.
“Khattak was threatened for his activism by an alleged agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. He received threatening messages… referencing his criticism of Pakistan’s human rights abuses and his imprisoned cousin, Idris Khattack.”
Balochistan is a region divided across three countries: Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. It has been the site of long-running opposition to the government of Pakistan; the movement for an independent state for the Baloch people dates back to 1948, with the independence of Pakistan. Insurgent activities have escalated since 2003, leading to brutal counter-insurgency operations and a crackdown in the region by Pakistan’s army and intelligence agencies. Tens of thousands of people have disappeared, reportedly tortured and killed by Pakistani security forces.
Protests organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in Pakistan have been met with violent reprisals by security forces. The Committee advocates for the protection of civil, political, and economic rights, and for an end to the enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch people. Organisers associated with Baloch rights and human rights have faced targeted attacks as a result of their work. The brother and cousin of Dr. Sabiha Baloch, a member of BYC, were forcibly disappeared as a result of her work and released after three months in detention. Pakistan strongly denies any accusations of human rights violations.
Speaking to Varsity, A CUAIS spokesperson said: ‘The cage campaign this weekend has been a real success. Given the University’s inaction on human rights globally, it’s now up to student organisations to stand in solidarity with people of oppressed nations. The University is kind of failing at meeting this reasonable expectation that students have.’
The Cambridge University Amnesty International Cage Campaign has been an annual event for over 45 years. Previous campaigns have focused on the detainment of activists in China (2022) and torture (2017).