OIC chief’s attention drawn to plight of Kashmiri detainees in Indian jails
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party has drawn the attention of Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), towards the plight of Kashmiri political and human rights activists languishing in Indian jails for their political beliefs and commitment to human rights.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the DFP through a letter written by its acting chairman, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar mentioned arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions and custodial torture as key tools of repression by the Indian regime.
The letter deplored that Indian forces operate with impunity under draconian laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). These laws have created a culture of fear, with civilians subjected to daily harassment in streets, marketplaces, and even their homes, violating their fundamental rights to life, liberty, and privacy in the occupied territory.
Thousands of Kashmiri leaders, journalists, and activists, arrested before and after August 5, 2019, continue to languish in jails under inhumane conditions, the letter added. Kashmiri prisoners, including prominent figures like APHC chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Nayeem Khan, Aasiya Andrabi and Khurram Parvez mostly imprisoned at India’s notorious Tihar Jail, are suffering from severe health issues due to prolonged detentions.
“Women activists detained in Tihar jail have reported physical and psychological abuse, further highlighting the systematic mistreatment of Kashmiri detainees,” the letter said and urged international human rights organizations to intervene and hold India accountable for its actions in the occupied territory. KMS-5K
Here is full text of the letter:
His Excellency,
Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha
The Secretary General
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
OIC Headquarter,
Jeddah KSA
Subject: Plight of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in Indian prisons
Excellency,
With reference to the subject cited above, I would like to bring to your kind attention the woeful plight of Kashmiri political and human rights activists who are being unjustly harassed, humiliated and tortured in prisons and detention centers simply for their political beliefs and for their unwavering commitment to human rights.
Excellency,
For decades, political and human rights activists in Kashmir have been on the receiving end of relentless state repression. Arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions and torture during custody continue as a tool of government control and repression. While on the other hand the Indian military forces enjoy blanket impunity under black laws such as UAPA and AFSPA to encroach over lives and properties of ordinary citizens in the region.
Enforcement of these laws have produced a culture of surveillance through everyday harassment of people on streets, marketplaces, and inside their homes, violating basic rights of life, liberty and privacy.
Excellency,
The government’s continued policy of repression and unjust detainment of political leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society activists in Kashmir is threatening the fundamental rights to life, liberty, and protection from harm.
It is worth mentioning here that thousands of Kashmiri political and human rights activists who have been arrested before and after 5th August 2019 still continue to languish in different jails. These prisoners lodged in far-off jails continue to face mistreatment and abuse on a massive scale that including torture and physical abuse, solitary confinement, denial of medical care, poor living conditions and prolonged imprisonment, denial of family visits and communication, sexual abuse and harassment.
The mistreatment of prisoners, especially the Kashmiri women activists who have been held in Tihar jail for many years, has resulted in physical and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and psychological trauma.
Sadly, this inhumane treatment and brutal methods of torture being employed against the Kashmiri prisoners have rarely caught the attention of the international community.
India, despite being a signatory to the Geneva Convention on political prisoners, has miserably failed to fulfill its international obligations and implement the laws governing prisoners’ rights.
Excellency,
Distressing reports are emerging from Kashmir, suggesting that Kashmiri prisoners held in jails within and outside the Kashmir Valley are being deliberately mistreated and kept in abysmal conditions by prison authorities at the behest of the BJP government.
Particularly, the health condition of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in Tihar jail including Shabir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Massarat Aalam Bhat, Nayeem Khan, Asiya Indrabi, and Khurram Parvaiz has drastically deteriorated due to the prolonged detentions.
It is worth mentioning here that nearly five thousand Kashmiris including the top-rank Hurriyat leaders and human rights advocates, who were taken under preventive custody before and after 5th August 2019 and later booked under draconian laws, continue to rot in jails far away from their homes.
On the other hand Hurriyat leadership has been under fire for openly criticizing the Modi government’s discriminatory policies towards Kashmir. They are being victimized just for raising voice for the rights of the people of Kashmir.
Excellency,
DFP is deeply worried about the safety and security of its incarcerated party chairman Shabir Ahmed Shah and many other prisoners whose lives are at grave risk in the Indian prisons.
We, therefore, appeal Your Excellency to utilize your diplomatic channels to persuade the government of India to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and guarantee the safety and security of all incarcerated individuals.
We also appeal to Your Excellency to persuade the Indian government to:
· Fulfill its international obligations
· Implement the laws governing prisoners’ rights.
· Release all the illegally imprisoned Kashmiri political prisoners.
With profound regards
Mehmood Ahmed Saghar
Acting Chairman
Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP)
