India: Continued repression in Jammu and Kashmir

(London) India The government has not restored freedom of expression and association Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Watch said today that on August 5, 2019, five years after the region’s special autonomous status was revoked.

Indian security forces continue to pursue repressive policies, including arbitrary detention, Extrajudicial executionsIndian authorities have attempted to justify the abuses by arguing that political violence in the region has declined significantly over the past five years. Fewer civilian and security casualties. A Violence surges in Jammu region Fifteen soldiers have been killed since June. 9 civilians.

“Indian authorities insist that violence in Jammu and Kashmir has been contained, but in five years they have done little to stop the government’s assault on basic freedoms,” Meenakshi GangulyDeputy Director of the Asia Division at Human Rights Watch. “Kashmiris are unable to exercise their rights to free expression, association, and peaceful assembly because they fear they will be arrested and jailed for months or even years without trial.”

In March 2024, protesters in the now independent Ladakh region demanded More participation and its role in the governance of its territory. Since 2019, Religious minorities and migrant workers Faced Targeted Attacks Hundreds of Kashmiris, including journalists and human rights activists, remain detained Tough detention and counter-terrorism laws.

“It may look calm with the large number of tourists, late night shopping and other apparent signs of normalcy, but we are festering inside,” said a 27-year-old Kashmiri businessman. “It’s like a soda bottle ready to burst at any moment.”

Authorities continue to prosecute high-profile figures Civilized Society The activists were accused of clearly politically motivated actions. On July 10, the authorities Arrest of Nasir Ahmed Longawho is serving as the president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association under the Public Safety Act. Arrest of Mian Abdul Qayyumthe association’s former president and outspoken critic of the government’s human rights violations, accused him of murder. Within days, the local government Ban on elections The Bar Association is said to be concerned about “disruption of public order”.

Kashmiri human rights defender Huram Parviz He has been imprisoned since November 2021 under India’s strict anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention of Atrocities Act (UAPA). urge Indian authorities stopped targeting Parvez and in 2023 Special Rapporteur Human rights defender Mary Lawlor called for his release. In March 2024, UN experts reported on the country’s “harassment and prolonged detention of human rights defenders and journalists”.

Since August 2019, at least 35 journalists in Kashmir Faced police interrogations, raids, threats, physical attacks, restrictions on freedom of movement, or being framed for criminal cases as a result of their reporting. New Media Policy A government measure introduced in June 2020 makes it easier for authorities to censor news in the region. Policies to protect public officials have been introduced A surge in the number of media outlets involved in false complaints in the region and proposals to punish media publications involved in spreading false information have raised concerns that government accountability and press freedom are under threat.

In some cases, police detained people by filing charges New charges After the court granted bail, revoked the detention order and even ordered compensation, the authorities Asif Sultan re-arresteda Kashmiri journalist who had just been released after serving more than five years in jail, filed another case under UAPA. In May, the police Arrest of lawyer Zahid Ali He has been detained since 2019 under the provisions of UAPA and new cases have been filed against him several times.

Jammu and Kashmir High Court Condemn the abuse of the authorities The Public Security Act prohibits repeated preventive detention, even if a court has ordered release. The judge pointed out: “It looks like the jurisdiction of preventive detention is not responsible to anyone.”

Authorities also arbitrarily use anti-terrorism laws Crackdown on peaceful critics, Journalists and human rights defenders Suppressing dissent. In recent years, the number of UAPA cases has Jammu and Kashmir have Significant increase. According to the data, in 2022, the region had the highest number of such cases in the country, with 371 of the 1,005 cases occurring in the region. National Crime Records Bureau.

Between 2019 and 2021, the government Turn off the internet In Jammu and Kashmir, the government took unprecedented measures for more than 500 days, saying the restrictions were necessary to prevent the spread of false or inflammatory information that could spark violent protests. But the lockdowns disproportionately harmed the population, exacerbating information blackouts, preventing families from communicating, blocking access to basic activities and services (including health care), and disrupting the local economy. Urge India End the communications blockade. Denying internet access in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India has become Default supervision policy Indian authorities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi He said in a May interview that “there were difficulties for a few days, but for good purposes” as a result of the government’s internet shutdown, and warned groups seeking judicial intervention. “Now, when these issues become topics of discussion in court, things become messy,” he said. “For NGOs that go to court, first of all, it is very important to save the country.”

Indian security forces have been implicated in numerous violations since 2019, including harassment and abuse at checkpoints, arbitrary detention, and Extrajudicial executionsThere has been no accountability for these recent alleged extrajudicial executions or past killings and abuses by security forces, in part because Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA)The law provides effective immunity from prosecution to members of the armed forces. Since the law came into force in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990, the Indian government has not authorized the prosecution of any security force personnel in civilian courts.

Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris, Many of them are HindusKashmiris, known as Pandits, were forced to leave the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley after a series of attacks by armed groups in 1989-1990. Only a few hundred displaced Kashmiri Pandit families have returned to their homeland in response to a government program to create jobs and shelter. But authorities have failed to address their problems. Security Question. Many people fled after the gunman opened fire Kashmiri Pandit 2022 Targeted killings of minorities And civilians.

“Indian authorities need to rethink their approach to Jammu and Kashmir and prioritize justice for victims of rights violations,” Ganguly said. “The government should provide remedies to those whose rights have been violated and hold perpetrators accountable.”