"Indian Police personnel "arresting a Kashmiri in Srinagar"

Indian Police personnel arresting a Kashmiri in Srinagar during a protest rally against human rights violations. Incident Date :12/09/2011

Srinagar, February 10: In occupied Kashmir, the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) and Hurriyet leaders in a media interview in Srinagar have strongly opposed the occupation authorities’ move to shift Kashmiri political detainees to different jails outside the Valley.

The HCBA President, Mian Abdul Qayoom, said the shifting of the prisoners was against the law.

Citing the judgement of the Indian Supreme Court in the case A K Roy versus West Bengal, the HCBA president said that detainees were to be lodged in the jails nearest to their residences.

He also said that a person detained under preventive law was not a culprit until proven. “These persons are detained only on apprehensions, so they are entitled to be kept near home,” Qayoom added.

Meanwhile the spokesman of the forum led by veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, Ayaz Akbar said that the detainees were being deliberately targeted to prolong their detention.

The Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi, said that the authorities were misusing powers to break the resolve of people spearheading the liberation movement.

“Jammu jails are interrogation centres. I have personally realised this during my confinement there.”
(KMS)