Islamabad, The All Parties Hurriyat Conference-AJK (APHC-AJK) chapter has reached out to the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, to draw attention to the plight of Kashmiri detainees in Indian jails, highlighting their unjust treatment and deteriorating conditions.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, Convener of the APHC-AJK chapter, penned a detailed letter to the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The letter outlines the critical situation of Kashmiri prisoners, including political activists, journalists, and members of the civil society, who are detained under severe laws like the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). These detainees, As per letter, are subjected to wrongful imprisonment on politically motivated charges under India’s oppressive regime.

The letter detailed the challenges faced by these detainees, indicating a misuse of anti-terrorism laws and judicial manipulation to silence voices advocating for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute. The APHC termed this as “judicial terrorism” and stressed the need for international intervention to ensure justice for the Kashmiri detainees.

Saghar’s letter also recalled the arrest of thousands of Kashmiris, including pro-freedom leaders and rights activists, before and after August 5, 2019, many of whom continue to languish in prisons. It criticized the Indian government’s use of the judiciary as a tool to suppress legitimate Kashmiri aspirations for self-determination and highlighted the sentencing of prominent Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik to a life term in a politically charged case as indicative of a broader strategy to eliminate dissent.

The appeal to the OIC Secretary General emphasizes the fear and insecurity instilled by the Indian government’s policies among Kashmiris. It describes the use of anti-terror laws and the judiciary as weapons against the Kashmiri population as a conspiracy to silence them.

The letter from the APHC-AJK chapter to the OIC concludes with a call for Hissein Brahim Taha’s personal intervention, suggesting that it could be instrumental in saving the lives of those at risk due to India’s biased judiciary. The APHC reaffirms its belief in the supremacy of international law and the necessity of holding violators accountable, regardless of their status as state or non-state actors.