UN urged to act on persecution of human rights defenders in IIOJK
Geneva: General Secretary of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter, Advocate Parvaiz Ahmed Shah, has called on the UN Human Rights Council to take urgent action to address the worsening plight of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and civil society members in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Advocate Parvaiz while speaking at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council under Agenda Item 5, condemned the ongoing persecution of those who have cooperated with UN mechanisms to raise awareness of human rights violations in IIOJK.
He stated, “Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and civil society members in IIOJK continue to face grave challenges. Those who have previously cooperated with UN mechanisms and highlighted human rights violations are now imprisoned on fabricated charges, denied fair trials, and left at the mercy of their oppressors.”
Advocate Parvaiz sharply criticized India, which touts itself as the world’s largest democracy, for failing to address the concerns raised by the UN High Commissioner regarding the rights of these defenders.
He emphasized the urgency of the situation, warning that the council’s failure to act swiftly to secure the release of these defenders would severely undermine the very concept of human rights in IIOJK. He added that such inaction would discourage future cooperation with the UN and hinder efforts to promote human rights in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Advocate Parvaiz urged the UN Human Rights Council to take decisive action to address the crisis faced by these defenders and push for their immediate release, stressing that the council cannot afford to neglect its responsibility to uphold human rights in IIOJK.
