Islamabad
The United Nations and other international rights organizations have denounced the arrest of a Srina-gar-based leading Kashmiri human rights defender, Khurram Parvez and demanded his immediate re-lease.
A report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, said Khurram Parvez, who is the coordinator of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a Srinagar-based human rights group, was arrested on November 22 by India’s dreaded Na-tional Investigation Agency and was booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code on fake charges.
The report said that immediately after Khurram Parvez’s arrest, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor in her tweet had expressed fears that he may be implicated in false terrorism-related cases by the Indian authorities.
“I’m hearing disturbing reports that Khurram Parvez was arrested in Kashmir & is at risk of being charged by authorities in India with terrorism-related crimes. He’s not a terrorist, he’s a Human Rights Defender,” tweeted Mary Lawlor.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in its statement, express-ing concern over the arrest, had called for his re-lease.
“We are deeply concerned at the arrest of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA),” it had said.
The UN rights body, the report added, also demanded amendment in the law to bring it in line with the international human rights law and standards.
David Kaye, a former UN Special Rapporteur, said Khurram’s arrest under terrorism charges was “yet another extraordinary abuse in Kashmir.”—INP
