Over 5,000 Kashmiris facing illegal detention in IIOJK & Indian jails: Report
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Islamabad : More than 5,000 Kashmiris, including All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders, human rights activists, journalists, youth, students, and ulemas, are currently unlawfully detained in jails across India and Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) for advocating their internationally recognized right to self-determination.
According to a report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, most of these detainees, both men and women, have been slapped with draconian laws such as Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Many are held in solitary confinement, facing continued detention without trial.
The KMS has learnt from its sources within the occupied territory that, as part of the BJP-RSS regime’s vindictive policies, more Hurriyat leaders, activists and youth have been shifted from IIOJK to far-off jails inside India. The cruel move, the report said, is aimed at breaking their commitment towards the political voice and rights demand acknowledged by UN resolutions as well as hurting the families of the detainees emotionally and financially.
It is worth mentioning here that the BJP-led Indian regime has killed many imprisoned Kashmiri youth in staged encounters. Senior leaders of APHC including Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and Altaf Ahmed Shah also died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Additionally, Zia Mustafa from AJK’s Rawalakot and Tabarak Hussain, a mentally challenged resident of AJK, were martyred by Indian forces while in detention.
The APHC has been demanding the immediate release of all Kashmiri political prisoners. It asserts that the Kashmiri people were engaged in a peaceful struggle to achieve their birthright to self-determination. The APHC denounces the Indian authorities for filing fake and baseless charges against thousands of Kashmiris and detaining them in various prisons. It is calling on the international community and human rights organizations to address these violations and exert pressure on Indian authorities to respect the human rights of Kashmiri political detainees. The organization seeks global support to highlight the colonial practices occurring in IIOJK and to advocate for justice and accountability for the detained Kashmiris.
