Experts call for immediate release of Kashmiri human rights defender

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Mr. Parvez has documented superior quality rights violations successful Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, including enforced disappearances and unlawful killings, they said, and has faced reprisals reportedly for sharing accusation with the UN. 

Apparent caller retaliation 

He was arrested successful November by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) connected charges related to conspiracy and terrorism.   

“We are acrophobic that 1 period aft Mr. Parvez’s arrest, helium is inactive deprived of liberty successful what appears to beryllium a caller incidental of retaliation for his morganatic activities arsenic a quality rights defender and due to the fact that helium has spoken retired astir violations,” the rights experts said.  

“In presumption of this discourse of erstwhile reprisals, we telephone connected the Indian authorities to instantly merchandise him and guarantee his rights to liberty and security.” 

Mr. Parvez is detained astatine the Rohini Jail Complex successful Delhi, which the experts described arsenic among the astir overcrowded and unsanitary prisons successful the country, posing contiguous hazard to his wellness and safety, successful peculiar from COVID-19

‘Worrisome rise’ successful arrests 

He was arrested connected 22 November nether Indian counter-terrorism legislation, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). 

Introduced successful July 2019, the Act allows the authorities to designate immoderate idiosyncratic arsenic a violent without the request of establishing rank oregon relation with banned groups. 

The rights experts said the UAPA has resulted successful a “worrisome rise” successful the fig of arrests successful India, and particularly successful Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. 

“We regret that the Government continues to usage the UAPA arsenic a means of coercion to restrict civilian society’s, the media’s and quality rights defenders’ cardinal freedoms successful Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir arsenic good arsenic successful the remainder of the country. We truthful erstwhile again impulse the Government to bring this authorities successful enactment with India’s planetary ineligible obligations nether quality rights law," they said.  

Mr. Parvez was brought earlier a tribunal successful Delhi connected 30 November and 4 December, erstwhile it was decided helium should beryllium transferred from NIA custody to judicial custody.  

This Thursday, the NIA Special Court whitethorn determine connected different hold of his detention for a further 90 days, the experts said. If convicted, helium could look up to 14 years successful prison, oregon adjacent the decease penalty. 

Role of autarkic experts 

The rights experts who issued the connection were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council successful Geneva. 

They study to the Council connected circumstantial state situations oregon thematic issues, specified arsenic the concern of quality rights defenders. 

These Special Rapporteurs, autarkic experts and members of moving groups are not UN staff, nor are they paid by the Organization. 

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