ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has strongly condemned the continued illegal detention of thousands of Kashmiris, accusing Indian authorities of using incarceration as a tool of political repression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In a statement issued from Srinagar, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas decried the prolonged imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders and activists, calling it part of the Hindutva-driven agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He accused New Delhi of deliberately keeping political prisoners behind bars to silence dissent against its illegal occupation of the region.
Since the unilateral revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019, Indian authorities have arrested thousands of Kashmiris, including youth and women, under draconian laws. Prominent leaders among them include APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Aasiya Andrabi, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar, and several others, who remain imprisoned in IIOJK and Indian jails.
The APHC urged international human rights organizations to intervene and secure the release of these detainees, emphasizing that India is systematically denying political space to pro-freedom leaders through repeated arrests on fabricated charges. The statement further highlighted the inhumane treatment of Kashmiri prisoners, who are reportedly confined in deplorable conditions, deprived of proper medical care, and denied access to their families.
“Their confinement is a blatant violation of international laws, including the Geneva Conventions on prisoners’ rights. Instead of ensuring justice, India continues to escalate its repression through arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings,” the APHC statement read.
Paying tribute to prominent Kashmiri freedom leader Ashfaq Majeed Wani on his martyrdom anniversary, the APHC lauded his contributions to the struggle for self-determination. “He was a beacon of resistance, and his sacrifices will continue to inspire generations of Kashmiris in their fight against Indian oppression,” the statement said.
Despite India’s relentless crackdowns, the APHC reiterated that such oppressive tactics would fail to crush the Kashmiri people’s resolve for freedom. It vowed that the movement for self-determination would persist until justice is achieved.
