Mirwaiz expresses concern over Kashmiri political detainees’ plight
Srinagar: All Parties Hurriyat Conference senior leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed concern over the plight of Kashmiri political detainees, including the Hurriyat leadership, calling it deeply disturbing.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in his Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, today said, “Repeatedly, we have appealed to the Indian government for the release of these prisoners and youth, but instead further arrests of Kashmiris continue.”
Referring to a series of articles published in a reputed news portal, detailing the shocking conditions faced by Kashmiri political prisoners, especially in infamous Tihar jail, during the extreme heat in overcrowded barracks without coolers and low ceiling fans, high-voltage bulbs kept on at all times, trapping heat and making conditions more unbearable.
“This is extremely inhuman. If authorities do not want to release these political prisoners, they should at least be treated humanely as per the international law on the rights of prisoners and the prison manuals,” Mirwaiz lamented.
He said many of the prisoners, booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA) have already served eight and five year terms in jails and yet their cases and release are dragging on. He added that their health and their families were greatly suffering because of the delays and their immediate release.
