LFOVK condemns the arbitrary use of anti-terrorism law against prominent human rights defender and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
India: National investigating agency (NIA) colonial policing and military warfare aims to terrorize Human Rights defenders and journalists in Indian-occupied Jammu Kashmir.
22 November 2021– The NIA on Monday arrested Khurram Parvez from his residence Sonwar Srinagar. As per the family sources, the agency raided his home and office and confiscated some of his books, phone, and laptop. His family received a call around 6 p.m. to bring his clothes and was given his arrest memo under case number 30/2021. Parvez faces at least eight charges against him under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Indian Penal Code. He is scheduled to be taken to New Delhi tomorrow.
Mr. Khurram Parvez is Program Coordinator of the JKCCS (Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society: a Srinagar based organization that monitors and investigates human rights abuses) and the Chairperson of the AFAD (Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances: a consortium of 13 NGOs from 10 Asian countries that campaign against enforced disappearances)
Indian authorities have repeatedly harassed civil societies including JKCCS for their courageous human rights work. In 2016, Mr. Parvez was stopped from traveling to Geneva to participate in the United Nations Human Rights Council on orders from the Intelligence Bureau and was later booked under draconian law Public Safety Act (PSA).
Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFOVK) denounces this abuse of the UAPA and other draconian laws by the Indian authorities to silence human rights defenders and dissidents under the guise of national security. Almost 2300 people have been arrested in Indian occupied Kashmir since the disputed region’s semi-autonomous status was unilaterally revoked by the Government of India.
Our organization condemn the arbitrary use of anti-terrorism law against Mr. Parvez and call for his immediate and unconditional release. Additionally, we demand an end to the harassment of human rights defenders, political activists, and journalists. The government of India must remove all legal and administrative barriers that impede their legitimate work. We also call on the international community, notably the other members of the United Nations Human Rights Council of which India is currently a member, to insist that India comply with its human rights obligations, including by allowing Indian human rights defenders to freely engage in their work and to enjoy their rights to free expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
