Srinagar, Jan 19: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Wednesday expressed grave concern over the plight of Kashmiri political prisoners, youth, human rights activists and others, incarcerated for years in various jails in Jammu and Kashmir and in prisons across India.
APHC in a statement said that according to family sources most of the prisoners suffered from various ailments, aggravated due to prolonged imprisonment and lack of treatment and medical facilities available to them in prison.
“In view of the onset of the third wave of Coronavirus and its new variant Omicron’s increasing spread, the life of these detainees already in bad shape, is at great risk. They should be immediately released on humanitarian grounds giving respite to their families too who are constantly worried about their life.”
Those in jails of Jammu and Kashmir and other prisons of India including Tihar Jail, Kot Bhalwal Jail, Jodhpur Jail, Agra Jail, Amphala Jail, Haryana Jail etc., include Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Advocate Shahidul Islam, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Pir Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Masarat Alam, Syed Shahid Yusuf, Syed Shakeel Ahmed, Zahoor Ahmad Watali, Engineer Rashid, Asiya Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi, Nahida Nasreen Khurram Parvaiz and others .
APHC made a strong appeal to the people of India and to people across the globe and to international human rights organisations – the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Amnesty International, Asia Watch, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take note of the issue of Kashmiri political prisoners and youth and activists who are tremendously suffering in jails for their dissenting views and push for their unconditional release , including that of APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who continues to be under house arrest since 5 August 2019.
APHC also condemned the forcible take over and closure of Kashmir press club by the state authorities. “The policy of repression and demolition of institutions in J&K being pursued by the authorities is extremely unfortunate and sad.”