UNHRC briefed on Kashmiri detainees’ plight & Indian judicial bias by delegation in Geneva
Geneva: At the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, a Kashmiri delegation provided a detailed briefing on the biased treatment of detainees from Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) within the Indian judicial system, emphasizing the denial of their legal and human rights.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the delegation comprising Advocate Parvez Shah and Dr. Waleed Rasool, met with Miss K. Pormica, a representative of the International Association for Human Rights Advocacy (IAHRA), at the UNHRC in Geneva. They detailed how the Indian judicial system manipulates proceedings to delay cases of Kashmiri detainees, aiming to undermine their resolve in fabricated cases.
The delegation underscored that under-trial Kashmiri prisoners are often not presented in court on their hearing dates, restricting their access to lawyers and family members, effectively making them invisible.
Furthermore, concerns were raised about Kashmiri detainees being subjected to trials in distant, special courts outside IIOJK, exacerbating difficulties in legal representation and access to necessary legal aid, reportedly unavailable.
Describing the appalling conditions in Indian jails, the delegation highlighted the denial of basic facilities guaranteed under international law and the jail manual to Kashmiri detainees.
Additionally, the delegation reported instances where Kashmiri political prisoners are coerced into signing bonds prohibiting them from supporting or advocating for self-determination, a right assured by United Nations resolutions, upon their release.
Miss K. Pormica expressed serious concern about the flawed legal system in IIOJK and pledged to raise the issue of the engineered legal system and the plight of Kashmiri prisoners in upcoming events.
