India must immediately end crackdown on Kashmiri HR defenders: UN Expert Lawlor

A top United Nations expert on Friday asked India to immediately end the crackdown on Kashmiri human rights defenders and urged New Delhi to release and close all investigations initiated against themMary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders made this comment days after the National Investigation Agency NIA formally arrested jailed Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society programme coordinator Khurram Parvez in connection with its NGO terror funding caseThe NIA said the case relates to the terror funding of proscribed terrorist organisations such as LeT and HizbulMujahideen by certain NGOs trusts and societies based in the ValleyIndian authorities appear to be intensifying the longstanding repression of Kashmiri civil society Lawlor saidThe State must respect its human rights obligations and be held accountable where it violates them she said in a statementParvez has been in prison since his arrest by the NIA in November 2021 for antinational activities including collecting information on vital installations and deployment and movement of security forces procuring secret official documents and passing the same to his LeT handlers for monetary considerationHe was chargesheeted along with six others on May 13 last yearAlso read Mentally disturbed man stabs four neighbours to death in south MumbaiIndia has previously said that authorities in the country act against violations of law strictly in accordance with established judicial processesThe UN expert said prior to Parvezs arrest a former associate of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies human rights activist and journalist Irfan Mehraj was also arrested in the same case on March 20 from Srinagar and transferred to New DelhiThe Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society JKCCS carries out essential work monitoring human rights Their research and analysis of human rights violations are of immense value to international organisations seeking to ensure accountability and nonrepetition of abuses Lawlor explainedThe statement issued in Geneva said UN experts have repeatedly highlighted grave concerns regarding the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act which allows the designation of any individual as a terrorist bypassing the requirement to establish membership or association with banned outfitsThe expert also called for the release and the closing of investigations against Kashmiri human rights defendersThe arrest and detention of persons for exercising their human rights are arbitrary There must be accountability and remedy where such abusive actions are taken Lawlor addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever