Human Rights Activist and Journalist Released on Bail in Kashmir

In New Delhi, a prominent Kashmiri human rights activist and a well-known journalist were released on bail after years of imprisonment over accusations of funding terrorism in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Human rights activist Khurram Parvez and freelance journalist Irfan Mehraj were detained in 2021 and 2023, respectively, under India’s anti-terrorism laws.

Despite their release from a New Delhi prison late Wednesday, both individuals remain subjected to strict restrictions imposed by the court. The country’s federal anti-terrorism agency is seeking to overturn the decision. The Indian government has intensified its crackdown on human rights activists, journalists, and dissidents in Kashmir through stringent anti-terrorism laws, particularly since August 2019, when India revoked the region’s special status.

A lower court in India permitted both men to be released on bail last week, but the National Investigation Agency of India appealed the decision. On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court declined to suspend the release order. However, the court imposed tougher restrictions on their movements and activities while considering the agency’s appeal.

International human rights organizations, including a United Nations body, have consistently called for their release, asserting they were incarcerated for their work.

Parvez has long been associated with the renowned Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS). Mehraj worked with the group as a researcher. The National Investigation Agency claims that both used the group to finance activities linked to militants and promote a separatist agenda. Both Parvez and Mehraj deny the allegations against them.

The JKCCS has published reports highlighting what it describes as endemic torture by some of the hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers in Kashmir. It has emphasized the wide powers granted to them, leading to a culture of impunity and widespread human rights abuses.

Upon their release, the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture stated that both men were detained on “fabricated charges.” They urged Indian authorities to drop all charges against them, claiming the proceedings are politically motivated to discredit their legitimate work and that of the JKCCS.

The legal proceedings in the case will continue in the coming weeks. The disputed region of Kashmir has endured a decades-long conflict, with both India and Pakistan claiming the entire Himalayan region. Militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir have been fighting against New Delhi’s rule since 1989, and many Muslim Kashmiris support the goal of unifying the territory under Pakistani control or achieving independence.