BRUSSELS: Fourteen members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have written a letter to the European Commission’s President Von der Leyen and Vice President Borrell conveying serious concern over the ‘grave and systematic human rights violations by Indian troops in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The letter says the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are being subjected to intolerable suppression of their freedom and fundamental rights for the past over seven decades.
The MEPs highlighted that since August 5, 2019, it appears more evident that India has abandoned any political approach to the situation in IIOJK and is managing it with almost exclusively military means.
The letter says as per the Amnesty International Report of 2021 and since the revocation of IIOJK’s special status in 2019, the Indian authorities have arrested many human rights defenders including journalists and activists under the draconian law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
They urged the Commission’s president and vice president to express their concerns with the Indian Government and impress upon India to fulfill its obligations under International Law, especially the imperative of protecting civilians.
