On Wednesday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a statement calling for the release of Kashmiri rights activist Khurram Parvez, who was arrested earlier last month under India’s terror law.
The release expressed concern about Parvez’s arrest on November 22 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for “terror funding.” Before his arrest, the NIA had conducted several raids on his office and residence.
In the statement, the OHCHR called the terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), “stringent.” “The Act is also increasingly being used to stifle the work of human rights defenders, journalists and other critics in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India,” it said. The OHCHR urged Indian authorities to amend the law and bring it in line with international regulations and standards.
The law has drawn criticism in both domestic and international circles, as it allows authorities to detain individuals for months without any charge. In fact, around 2,300 people have been detained over the past two years under this law.
Responding to the OHCHR statement, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the remarks were “baseless” and made “unfounded allegations against India’s law enforcement authorities and security forces.” He said the tone of the statement indicated a complete lack of understanding of the security situation in India and the challenges faced by the country to protect its national security. He clarified that all the actions taken were in furtherance of India’s desire to combat cross-border terrorism. Bagchi also defended the UAPA, saying that the Indian legislature passed it for the security of its citizens.
Parvez is the coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, a Kashmiri human rights group. The organisation has often accused the Indian Army of enjoying immunity in the region. Parvez has received the 2006 Reebok Human Rights Award and the 2017 Rafto Prize for Human Rights.
His arrest has therefore attracted significant criticism from activists and rights groups across the world. Mary Lawlor, a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, said the news was “disturbing”, and that Parvez is a human rights activist, not a terrorist. Likewise, Amnesty International said his arrest is another example of how anti-terror laws are used to stifle dissent in India.
Like the OHCHR, the World Organisation Against Torture, a forum that sees the collaboration of over 200 non-governmental organisations, also released a statement on Parvez’s arrest, saying it is “deeply concerned about the high risk of torture while in custody.”
Parvez’s arrest comes at a time when tensions continue to rise in the Kashmir Valley. Over the past few months, Indian authorities have carried out several security operations to combat militancy in the area. Last month, the region witnessed intense protests, with residents claiming that two civilians had been killed during a crossfire between militants and security forces.
UN Demands Release of Kashmiri Rights Activist Khurram Parvez
Parvez is the coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, which has published several reports on human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir.
December 2, 2021
Khurram Parvez, the coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society IMAGE SOURCE: WASHINGTON POST