Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has issued a call to the United Nations and international human rights groups to intervene and press India for the release of Kashmiri political prisoners, including youth and activists, detained in harsh conditions in both India and occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas articulated the demands in Srinagar, declaring that India’s efforts to quell Kashmiri aspirations for freedom through detention and harassment have been unsuccessful. He emphasized the critical need for international intervention to help free these individuals, some of whom have been incarcerated for over two decades.

Minhas highlighted the cases of several detained leaders and activists by name, including Dr. Muhammad Shafi Shariati, Dr. Mohammad Qasim Fakhtoo, and others, noting their prolonged imprisonment and the adverse conditions they face. Additionally, he listed numerous other detainees, from APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt to journalists and human rights defenders, who are subjected to physical torture and discriminatory treatment in detention.

Despite these challenges, Minhas stated that the morale among the detained Hurriyat leaders and activists remains strong, driven by their commitment to the Kashmir cause. The APHC has appealed directly to UN Secretary General António Guterres, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other relevant bodies to advocate for the release of the detainees and to address the broader Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions.