LFK’s bi-annual report reveals escalating human rights abuses in IIOJK
Islamabad: The Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) has unveiled its comprehensive Bi-Annual Review for 2024, highlighting severe human rights violations and escalating repression in Indian illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). The report underscores the ongoing plight of the Kashmiri people and calls for urgent international intervention.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the bi-annual review meticulously documents an extensive array of human rights abuses committed by Indian occupying authorities and forces in the first half of 2024. The report states that from January to June 2024, there was a sustained trend of state repression, with 202 cordon and search operations (CASOs) resulting in 72 deaths. These casualties include 19 civilians, 23 freedom fighters, and 30 Indian troops, as reported by the Legal Forum for Kashmir.
LFK’s investigation highlights numerous cases of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the use of anti-terror laws to suppress dissent and silence human rights defenders. The report reveals the systematic use of torture and other forms of inhumane treatment against civilians, aiming to instill fear and suppress any form of resistance.
In a grim account of the ongoing conflict, the report details how heightened militarization has worsened the human tragedy in IIOJK. The occupying forces have not only intensified their military operations but have also engaged in the confiscation and demolition of civilian properties, leading to significant displacement and suffering among the local population.
The report further sheds light on the plight of human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists who have faced increased targeting and persecution. The misuse of anti-terror laws by occupying authorities has criminalized the efforts of civil society organizations, socio-religious groups, and independent media, effectively stifling free expression and assembly.
LFK’s on-ground research and data collection, supported by credible sources including official records, media reports, and NGO fact-finding missions, provide a solid foundation for the report’s findings. The organization calls upon the international community to hold accountable not only the direct perpetrators but also those who order, instigate, or incite these human rights violations.
