Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyet Conference while denouncing the illegal detention of pro-freedom leaders and activists has sought intervention by international human rights organizations for their immediate release.
An APHC spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said, “Hundreds of innocent youth detained under frivolous cases are languishing in jails and police stations across the Valley and most of them are detained under infamous Public Safety Act.â€
Condemning the continued detention of APHC leader, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, police raids on Muslim League activist Khazir Muhammad Ganai, detention of Sajjad Ahmad Khan and Bashir Ahmad Butt for the last three months and slapping of second PSA on Baramulla youth, Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh, Suhail Ahmad Sheikh, Waseem Ahmad Farash, Maqsood Ahmad Khan and Asif Ahmad Dar, the spokesman demanded their unconditional release.
“Over 500 detainees including Ameer Hamza Shah, Muhammad Rustum Butt, Abdul Subhan Butt, Muhammad Yusuf Lone, Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf, Master Ali Muhammad, Shakeel Ahmad Yatoo, Meer Hafeezullah, Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, Muhammad Shaban Dar, Raies Mir, Abdul Ahad Parra, Muhammad Rafiq Ganai, Mushtaq Ahmad Hura, Shakeel Ahmad Butt, Bashir Kashmiri, Ghulam Muhammad Tantray, Abdul Majeed Rather, Ghulam Muhammad Lone, Bashir Ahmad Sofi, Manzoor Ahmad Bhagat, Hakim Showkat, Assadullah Parray, Shakir Ahmad Mir, Ghulam Hassan Malik, Ghulam Muhammad Mir, Abdul Hamid Parray, Javed Ahmad Phuley, Nazir Ahmad Manteo, Muhammad Shaban Khan and Manzoor Ahmad Kalo were arrested during the uprising and are lodged in different jails and interrogation centres,†he said.
“The cases of over 500 detainees have been quashed and bailed out by court, however, they were rearrested under Public Safety Act. The reports from Baramulla jail are horrifying and it looks as if authorities have turned this jail into Abu Ghuraib,†the spokesman said, adding that “APHC is preparing a detailed report and will pass it on to human rights organizations for their cognizance.â€
The spokesman appealed to the global human rights organizations including Amnesty International and International Committee of Red Cross to use their influence for immediate release of all detainees.
On the other hand, the General Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League, Muhammad Ramazan Khan in a statement also called upon world human rights bodies to take notice of plight of the Kashmiri detainees. He said that different tactics were being used to prolong the detention of political prisoners.
