Hayat Butt Freed After 6 Years As APHC Urges UN To Pressure India On All Political Detainees

The release of Hurriyat leader Hayat Ahmed Butt after six years in Kot Bhalwal Jail has brought fresh focus to rights and due process in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He was taken in October 2019 under the black laws Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act after he led protests in Soura against the removal of Articles 370 and 35A. He returned home to Soura this week yet many others remain in prisons across India and in the valley while families wait at gates and courtrooms. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has urged the United Nations Secretary General to press India to free all political detainees and to act before poor health and long delay turn custody into a silent sentence.

• Key Facts Of Release: Arrested in October 2019 under PSA and UAPA and freed after six years from Kot Bhalwal Jail.
• Public Interest At Stake: One homecoming highlights the fate of many others whose cases still move inch by inch.
• Moral And Legal Duty: The plea to the United Nations seeks timely action so that life and dignity are not lost in custody.

Six Years In Custody And Return Home

Police had accused Hayat Ahmed Butt of mobilising youth against Indian rule and the then police chief Dilbag Singh called his arrest a major breakthrough. The charge rested on his role in large protests in Soura and in the Anchar Lake belt after the special status was removed. His release brings relief to his family and neighbours yet it also shows how preventive detention has replaced fair and open trial in a region that needs trust more than fear.

• Arrest And Charges: Booked under PSA and UAPA for leading protests after the removal of Articles 370 and 35A.
• Meaning Of Release: A personal relief that exposes the deep harms of long custody without trial.
• Signal To The Valley: Freedom for one highlights the many still held far from home and from legal help.

Laws As Tools Of Control

PSA and UAPA allow detention without timely trial and make bail rare. Prisoners are moved to distant jails, which cuts family contact and raises legal cost. Under the Modi government these laws have been used as a stick, not a shield, and dissent is treated as crime.

• Preventive Detention: Custody without charge takes the place of fair court process.
• Transfers And Isolation: Distance from home breaks families and adds mental stress.

2019 Protests And Public Voice

After the removal of Articles 370 and 35A, there were curfews, arrests and a phone and internet blackout. In Soura and nearby areas, youths and elders gathered to demand rights and respect. The state replied with raids and wide arrests, and that season still shapes daily life.

• Public Anger: People came out to defend identity land rights and local voice.
• Police Response: Heavy control narrowed civic space and pushed many into silence.

APHC Appeal And Detainees

APHC spokesman Abdul Rashid Minhas has asked the UN chief to press India to free all political prisoners at once. The list includes Massarat Alam Butt Shabbir Ahmed Shah Muhammad Yasin Malik Aasiya Andrabi Nayeem Ahmed Khan Ayaz Akbar Peer Saifullah Raja Merajuddin Kalwal Mushtaq ul Islam Bilal Siddiqi Maulvi Bashir Ahmed Abdul Ahad Parra and others. He warned that many face poor health and that delay places lives at risk and drags justice into darkness.

• Names And Risk: Senior leaders and workers remain in long custody while health reports raise fresh alarm.
• Appeal To UN: The call seeks firm pressure for releases and for respect of basic rights and medical care.
• Time Is Critical: Every week of delay increases danger and deepens public pain.

Human Cost Behind Bars

Detention is a daily pain for prisoners and families. Long isolation harms body and mind. Distance from home tears at bonds with parents and children. Travel and legal fees drain savings and harm study and work.

• Health And Care: Limited checks and stress break health and leave lasting harm.
• Families And Finances: Long trips and lost income deepen poverty and grief.

Role Of Media And Access To Truth

Reporting from the valley is under pressure. Families struggle to place their side on record. When prisons are closed to checks and archives are not open, truth is replaced by rumour. A strong state should allow fair reporting and open records.

• Press Under Strain: Raids and cases push reporters toward silence.
• Need For Openness: Access for lawyers families and media keeps facts clear.

Duty Of The United Nations And The World

The appeal to the United Nations is a call for steps that reduce harm now. The Secretary General can urge India to allow visits by UN experts to share updated lists of detainees and to open prisons to independent checks. Member states can raise these concerns with New Delhi and link progress on rights to better ties in trade and other fields.

• Access And Oversight: Permit UN experts to meet detainees review records and report to the Council.
• Regular Reporting: Publish updated data on prisoners health and case progress to end secrecy.
• Support For Families: Donors can assist legal aid groups that track health and cases and provide timely help.

Holding India To Account Internationally

The international community must hold India to account for abuse torture and unlawful detention and must say clearly that mass custody is not acceptable. It should stand by United Nations resolutions that promise the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to self determination and a free choice about their future. Words are not enough and action is needed so that rights do not fade into paper claims.

• Accountability Measures: Use visa bans asset freezes and lawful steps against officials and units linked to abuse.
• UN Mandate On Choice: Support a credible process that lets Kashmiris decide their future in line with UN resolutions.
• Global Standard: Tie major deals and outreach to real progress on releases access and fair trial.

What New Delhi Must Do Now

A confident government does not fear courts or the press. Free those held for peaceful politics. Where there are charges bring them to open court with clear timelines. End transfers that cut people from support and ensure medical care and family visits.

• End Preventive Custody: Replace detention orders with lawful process.
• Protect Civil Rights: Restore free speech peaceful assembly and access for media and lawyers.

Conclusion

Hayat Ahmed Butt has returned home, but many still wait. His release shines a light on a system that has used fear in place of law since 2019. India’s record under the Modi government is one of control not consent and punishment not protection. The world must hold India to account and support the right of Kashmiris to decide their future under United Nations rules. A clear path lies ahead. Free political detainees, ensure fair and fast trials, open prisons to checks and place health and dignity above power games. Only then can pain give way to peace and justice carry meaning for families who have waited for years.