Speakers at a webinar on current worsening Kashmir situation, hosted by Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) on Friday, in collaboration with World Muslim Conference have expressed their grave concerns over the rising cases of reprisals against Kashmir based rights activist who have been directly or indirectly engaged with the UN and other international organizations on human rights issues.
The webinar titled “Reprisals against Rights Defenders” was held as a sideline event on the occasion of 39the session of the UNHCR. The event was attended and addressed by prominent human rights activists, international law experts, academicians from different parts of the world including Prof. Alfred DE Zayas former UN independent expert, Amb. Dr. Haissam Bou Said, Amb. Dr. M Shahid Amin, Amb. Dr. Tivlumun, prof. Dr. Mehmet Sukru, Duke Salman Khan, and Dr. Shugufta Ashraf. The webinar was moderated by the KIIR chairman Altaf Hussain Wani.
In his initial remarks the KIIR chairman said that Indian occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an alarming increase in the cases of intimidation and reprisals against journalists and members of civil society especially the rights activists who have played significant role in documenting human rights violations being committed by the Indian forces.
He said that apart from intimidation and police reprisals the rights defenders have been arrested on trumped up charges as part of the government’s crackdown on the human rights and civil society groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting the woeful plight of Kashmiri human rights defenders, Wani said that rights defenders along with their families were living in a heightened fear of being killed, harassed and humiliated just for documenting brutalities and human rights violations committed by the Indian forces in Kashmir.
The panelists on the occasion pointed out that since 2019, the Kashmir valley has witnessed an uptick in the incidents of police reprisals and assaults on human rights activists. “They (rights activists) have faced police interrogation, raids, threats, physical assault, or fabricated criminal cases for defending human rights in the region”, they said adding that the notorious investigation agency -the NIA has been assigned a special task by the Modi government to carry on its witch-hunt against rights defenders.
Referring to a massive crackdown against human rights activists, the speakers maintained that it was disturbing to see that the offices and residences of the valley based human rights activists who have been cooperating with international human rights watchdogs since 1990 were raided by the NIA.
These raids, they said, were part of the BJP government’s official policy to enable complete silence on Kashmir by eliminating critical voices, who have time and again raised alarm over the stepped-up human rights violations, reckless violence and systematic genocide of Kashmir at the hands of Indian army.
While condemning the arrest of prominent Kashmiri human rights activist Mr. Khuram Parvez, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo under infamous Act- the UAPA, they said, instead of addressing the pressing human rightsproblems the Indian government were hell bent on crushing peaceful criticism and calls for accountability.
Terming Khuram Parvaiz and Ahsan Untoo as fearless defenders of human rights, they panelists said that the duo had played a vital role in documenting human rights in the region. “They are being victimized just for standing up for the rights of common Kashmiris and their only crime is speaking truth to the power”, they said adding that the NIA raid on the office of the APDP Chairperson Perveena Ahanger was part of the government’s policy to coerce her into submission.
They said that besides arresting rights defenders, the NIA had raided the office of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, offices the JK Yateem Foundationand other media houses to crush dissent in the region.
They said that using authoritarian tactics against outspoken critics speak volumes about India’s apartheid regime’s crooked mindset and its belligerent policies towards Kashmiris. “These acts of harassment aimed at punishing and intimidating groups and individuals for their human rights activities, must stop”, they said, adding that using authoritarian tactics to silence rights defenders and creating hurdles in their work was a flagrant violation of international law.
Expressing their grave concerns about the safety and security of JKCCS chief Khuram Parvaiz and Mr. Untoo, the panelist while demanding their early release said that the duo were at the grave risk of being tortured in jail.
The panelists also appealed to the world human rights bodies urging them to influence the government of India to stop threats, harassment, intimidation and attacks against rights defenders working in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
