Kashmiri women detainees’ health at risk in Indian jails amid heat wave: LFK
Islamabad: Kashmiri political prisoners in Indian jails are facing alarming health risks exacerbated by a severe heat wave gripping North India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, families of prominent detainees, including Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen and Fehmeeda Sofi, have raised urgent concerns over their deteriorating conditions in India’s prisons, citing inadequate healthcare and oppressive living conditions.
The Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) in its policy brief has strongly condemned the treatment of these prisoners as a grave violation of human rights, urging immediate intervention by Indian authorities to ensure proper medical care and improved facilities amid the extreme weather.
These women, detained under contentious charges, represent a broader pattern of arbitrary detentions targeting Kashmiri activists and pro-freedom leaders. The conditions, they endure, highlight systemic issues within Indian prison facilities, which have drawn international criticism for their treatment of political prisoners.
The LFK emphasized India’s obligations under international law to uphold the rights of detainees, including access to medical treatment and humane living conditions. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners mandate such protections, it added.
It called upon the Indian government to cease arbitrary detentions and respect the rights of Kashmiri political prisoners. It also demanded immediate access to legal and medical professionals, families and international observers.
The families of Kashmiri Political Prisoners revealed the distressing conditions of prisoner’s where they lack adequate cooling equipment, endure harsh lighting and face restricted access to essential medical care and basic amenities, adding requests for relief have been repeatedly denied, exacerbating their health vulnerabilities.
