In occupied Kashmir the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) while voicing serious concerns over the inhuman treatment meted out to pro-freedom leaders and activists at the hands of jail authorities had demanded a high level probe into the plight of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in various jails in and outside the state. The JRL leaders stated that Jails have been turned into hell like interrogation centres where inmates are subjected to third degree torture, worst form of degradation and humiliation. Citing the case of Haji Abdul Ghani Bhat, 65, Sopore, presently lodged at Srinagar Central Jail, the JRL alleged Bhat was forced to remain naked in the jail premises. Terming the incident as an “indicator of moral bankruptcy of jail system” the leadership demanded high level probe into the inhuman treatment being meted out to the prisoners, not only in Srinagar Central Jail but also in all the jails in and outside the state. The leadership threatened a mass uprising against the cruel, inhuman and beastly behavior of the jail authorities. They said that people of Kashmir would not remain mute spectators on this degradation as there is no place for such vile actions in the contemporary civilized world. The leadership also took exception to illegal, illogical and immoral incarceration of the two sons of the Hizbul Mujahideeen chief, Syed Salahudin and termed it as an act of vendetta. “Victimizing sons in lieu of father is highly deplorable as a unique example of injustice, and lawlessness,” they said. It may be recalled here that dozens of top rank Hurriyat leaders have been lodged in Tihar jail. The notorious jail has virtually become a death trap for Kashmiri political prisoners where they are being thrashed, tortured, and humiliated and harassed day in and day out. In Tihar Kashmiris are being treated differently, they are being abused, tortured, and humiliated and harassed. Even the most dreaded criminals who have committed serious crimes treat Kashmiri prisoners as Desh-Druhis (traitors) and they consider it as their national duty to abuse them, verbally and physically. Apart from high profile prisoners there are thousands of Kashmiri prisoners, mostly youth, lodged in jails/detention centers across the valley and other parts of India. Most of them have been implicated in false cases and are presently in the jails of Rajasthan, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Gujarat, Delhi, Kuthwa and other jails of India. According to reports 19 Kashmiris have been serving life imprisonment in Tihar jail, New Delhi where Kashmiri inmates are being even deprived of basic rights. No medical treatment is being provided to them, nor are they being allowed to meet their kith and kin.
The fact is that Kashmiris are being subjected to political vengeance because of their political belief. The inhuman treatment meted out to them in jail is not only a serious violations of basic human rights but a flagrant violation of international law. Majority of prisoners are suffering from many serious ailments which need immediate treatment but it is quite unfortunate that their voices/pleas are not even heard at the judicial level. The detainees are deprived of the basic health care facilities, which happens to be the fundamental right of a detainee. It is time that the international human rights bodies should take effective notice of the plight of Kashmiri prisoners and use their good offices to pressurize the government of India to ensure safety and early release of all political activists who have been languishing in various jails in and outside the occupied territory over past several years.
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