A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced prominent Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch to life imprisonment over the 2024 death of a paramilitary soldier during a protest in Gwadar, though Baloch denies inciting the crowd. The verdict is likely to intensify debate over human rights versus security in Balochistan, where enforced disappearances and rights abuses have been documented for years. The court's characterization of the death as incited by Baloch's speech is contested — she maintains she did not call for violence, raising questions about whether protest speech itself is being criminalized under anti-terrorism law.