IIOJK’s Political Prisoners Shifted to Indian Jails Amid Rising Concerns

The forced relocation of Kashmiri detainees to far-off Indian prisons is not just a legal maneuver but a deliberate strategy to silence voices demanding justice and freedom.

The systematic transfer of Kashmiri political prisoners to remote Indian jails highlights a troubling pattern of suppression, fueling concerns over human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)

Under the administration of Lieutenant Governor Minhaj Sinha, Indian authorities have relocated over a dozen Kashmiri political prisoners from Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to jails in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Among those transferred are prominent Hurriyat leaders Muhammad Rafiq Gania and Sadullah Parrey. These prisoners were previously held in Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu, Rajouri District Jail, Srinagar Central Jail, and other detention centers within Kashmir.

Currently, hundreds of Kashmiri prisoners, including leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), are detained in high-security Indian jails. These include Tihar Jail in New Delhi, Agra Central Jail, Naini Jail in Uttar Pradesh, Rohtak and Karnal Jails in Haryana, as well as prisons in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Rajasthan’s Jodhpur Central Jail. The large-scale relocation of these detainees has intensified concerns about the mistreatment of political prisoners and their isolation from their families.

According to the World Prison Brief, India ranks among the top countries in terms of pre-trial detainees. As of October 2023, approximately 77.1% of prisoners in India were held without conviction, one of the highest rates in the Commonwealth. Reports indicate that by 2022, over 75% of India’s total prison population was detained without a formal court sentence. This trend reflects a deeply flawed judicial system where prolonged detentions occur without timely legal proceedings.

Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, spokesperson for the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, strongly condemned the BJP-led administration for shifting Kashmiri detainees to far-off Indian prisons. In a statement from Srinagar, he described this as an attempt to punish Kashmiris for resisting political injustice, atrocities, and India’s unlawful occupation of their homeland. He criticized the move as a deliberate act of repression, designed to break the spirit of Kashmir’s freedom fighters by separating them from their loved ones.

Many of these detainees have been charged under draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). These laws allow for prolonged detention without trial, often used as tools of political suppression. Despite these harsh measures, Kashmiri activists remain steadfast in their struggle for self-determination.

While the Indian government continues its policy of relocating Kashmiri prisoners, resistance against oppression, political injustice, and human rights violations remains strong. The people of IIOJK remain resolute in their demand for freedom, justice, and an end to India’s unlawful occupation of their homeland.