ISLAMABAD, Jan 5 (APP):The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the prolonged illegal and inhuman incarceration of Asiya Andrabi and her two female associates in Tihar Jail in India on concocted and baseless charges.
“As per media reports, Andrabi and her associates, like other political prisoners in IoJ&K, are being held without access to free and fair trial and subjected to physical and psychological torture and denied critical medical care endangering their lives in contravention of the international human rights and humanitarian laws,” the IPHRC said in a press release posted on its website on Tuesday.
The Commission urged the United Nations, the OIC member states and the international human rights community to lean on the Indian government to immediately release Andrabi and her associates and all other political prisoners being held under AFSPA, PSA and UAPA and grant them access to free and fair trial.
It further reiterated its demands of repealing the draconian and discriminatory laws, which were incompatible with human rights standards and restore all fundamental freedoms of Kashmiris, immediately halt its gross and systematic human rights violations, provide access to UN/OIC fact-finding missions and cooperate in the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry under UN auspices, and implement relevant UN Security Council and OIC resolutions allowing Kashmiris to exercise their legitimate right to self-determination.
Andrabi is the founder of one of the most influential women rights organizations in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) and is widely respected as a voice of reason with concrete contribution towards women empowerment in IIOJ&K.
“Despite her advancing age, deteriorating health condition and aggravating Covid-19 threats, she is being held on fabricated charges without due process of law, which is deeply concerning,” the Commission noted.
The Commission reiterated its strong concerns over the growing incidents of illegal detentions of human rights and political activists and members of civil society and media by the Indian security forces under the impugned draconian laws such as the Armed Special Forces Power Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
It may be recalled that the Commission in its report of March 2017 on the human rights situation in IIOJ&K categorically maintained that these laws were sources of impunity used by the Indian security forces to carry out blatant human rights violations against the innocent Kashmiris to silence their voices for their inalienable right to self-determination.
