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Srinagar: A coalition of international human rights organizations has called for the immediate release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Meraj, three years after his arrest by India\u2019s National Investigation Agency (NIA).<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, nearly three dozen rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists, said Meraj\u2019s continued detention is based on charges they believe are politically motivated and linked to his work documenting human rights issues in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.<\/p>\n
The organizations said that the case reflects growing pressure on journalists and researchers working on sensitive issues in the territory. The advocacy groups highlighted the detention of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), who has been held since 2021. Investigators previously described Mehaj as an associate of Parvez, a fact that rights organizations say forms part of the basis for the charges against him.<\/p>\n
The coalition urged the Indian government to end what they described as reprisals against journalists and human rights defenders in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and to reconsider laws that allow extended detention without trial. They also criticized the Modi-led Indian government for failing to respond to several inquiries previously raised by UN human rights experts regarding alleged violations in the region.<\/p>\n
The groups called on the international community to monitor the situation closely and encourage greater protection for journalists and civil society organizations, stating that continued attention from international institutions may be necessary to ensure that press freedom and basic civil liberties are upheld in the territory.<\/p>\n
Meraj was arrested in March 2023 during an investigation conducted by India\u2019s National Investigation Agency for uploading posts on brutalities of Indian forces in the territory.<\/p>\n
Many observers link the current situation to developments following India\u2019s decision in August 2019 to revoke the special constitutional status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to figures released by India\u2019s own Ministry of Home Affairs, thousands of individuals were detained in the months following the policy change. Human rights groups have also raised concerns about detainees being transferred to prisons in Indian states, which can make it difficult for families and lawyers to maintain regular contact. Prison conditions and access to medical care have also been cited as ongoing concerns by rights monitors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Srinagar: A coalition of international human rights organizations has called for the immediate release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Meraj, three years after his arrest by India\u2019s National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to Kashmir Media Service, nearly three dozen rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists, said Meraj\u2019s continued …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":196909,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-196984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t