APHC condemns Delhi court verdict on Aasiya Andrabi, vows to continue struggle
Calls death sentences, life terms for Kashmiri leaders a dark chapter of Indian judiciary
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the All Parties Hurriyat Conference has termed the life imprisonment awarded to senior Hurriyat leader and Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi, along with 30-year sentences to her associates Fehmida Sofi and Nahida Nasreen by a Delhi special court, as deeply unfortunate and part of the Modi government’s continued political vendetta against Kashmiri freedom leaders.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a statement issued in Srinagar, said the verdict reflects the misuse of India’s judicial and investigative institutions to target Kashmiri pro-freedom leadership. He noted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had long been seeking life sentences for Andrabi and her associates, who have remained imprisoned in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for over eight years.
He pointed out that Andrabi’s husband, Mohammad Qasim Faktoo, was also sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003 in a fabricated case and has remained behind bars for over 25 years.
He said that the Indian judiciary’s role in cases involving Kashmiri leaders has remained controversial, citing the executions of Mohammad Maqbool Butt and Mohammad Afzal Guru, as well as life sentences awarded to leaders like Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, and Dr. Faktoo, as part of a dark chapter in judicial history. He added that even in the case of Afzal Guru, the Indian Supreme Court acknowledged the lack of conclusive evidence but justified the death sentence to satisfy the “collective conscience” of Indian society.
He asserted that such rulings underscore a lack of judicial independence, with courts appearing to function in line with state policy. Reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory, he said Kashmiris are engaged in a legitimate and peaceful struggle in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
Rejecting allegations of “waging war against the state,” the APHC termed them baseless and politically motivated. “These charges are nothing but a crude farce,” the spokesperson said, adding that India cannot silence the Kashmiri people through executions, life sentences, or prolonged detentions.
He emphasized that such coercive measures have failed to break the resolve of Kashmiris, who remain steadfast in their pursuit of their inalienable right to self-determination and will continue their struggle until its logical conclusion.
