ISLAMABAD: In India’s illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the APHC leadership has expressed deep concern about the continued unlawful detention of thousands of Kashmiris for expressing their opposition to India’s illegal occupation.
In a statement issued in Srinagar, the APHC leadership stated that the Modi regime is purposefully prolonging the detention of Kashmiri prisoners for their political beliefs. According to the leadership, the Hindutva government of India has arrested thousands of civilians in the occupied territory as part of its coercive policies since its illegal and unilateral actions on 5 August 2019 and thereafter.
APHC Chairman Massrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Aasiya Andrabi, Nasreen, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Merajudin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Molvi Bashir Ahmed, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Bilal Siddiqi, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, human rights defender Khurram Parvaiz, Muhammad Shafi Khan, Ameer Hamza, and Muhammad Yousuf Mir among those who are languishing in jails in India and IIOJK
The APHC leaders Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori and Muhammad Saleem Zargar claimed that India denies space to Hurriyat leaders by repeatedly arresting them on false charges, demonstrating the worst form of political vendetta.
IIOJK detainees confined to cells
They expressed concern that Kashmiri detainees are confined to cells and are denied adequate food and medical treatment in Indian jails, leaving families concerned for their well-being. According to the leaders, the inmates’ family members are even denied meetings with them, which is the pinnacle of oppression.
According to APHC leaders, the fascist Modi regime is turning a blind eye to the plight of Kashmiri detainees and delaying their release on various pretexts, despite court orders. The leaders slammed draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for being used to coerce Hurriyat leaders and ordinary Kashmiris into submission.
They stated that India is violating the Geneva Convention on the Rights of the Person by not only prolonging unlawful detentions but also making more arrests and carrying out extrajudicial killings of innocent civilians in IIOJK in order to pressurize and break their resolve for freedom.
However, they added, these repressive tactics will not deter the occupied territory’s people from fighting for the right to self-determination. They urged the international community and global human rights organizations to take notice of the illegal detentions in IIOJK and to speak out in support of the release of illegally detained Kashmiris. APP
