In brief

Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez completes one year in detention

International organisations, UN experts call for immediate release

Khurram Parvez.
Khurram Parvez. Author: Khurram Parvez @ Facebook
It is one year since Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez was arrested by the Indian anti-terrorism agency (NIA) on charges of involvement in terrorist activities in Kashmir and conspiring to wage war against India. Parvez continues in preventive detention one year later, and no trial has been held.

Parvez is the coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), two of the most active groups in exposing human rights violations by the Indian authorities in Kashmir.

A dozen human rights organisations, including Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Minority Rights Group, and Front Line Defenders, have called for his immediate release in a statement. “His arbitrary detention,” the text says, “is part of a longstanding list of human rights violations committed by Indian authorities against human rights defenders, civil society organisations, journalists, and activists in Jammu and Kashmir.”

“The Indian authorities,” the statement continues, “must release Parvez immediately and unconditionally, and all charges against him must be dropped, as they are a reprisal for his peaceful human rights work.” Several experts from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have also joined the call.

Kashmir is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan since the time of Partition. The Kashmir Valley, where many of the Kashmiri people reside, is under police and military rule. In 2019, the Indian government abolished the autonomy of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.