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ISLAMABAD, Jun 21 (APP): India’s relentless repression in its illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir has taken a horrifying shape in the form of political incarceration. For years, the Indian government has weaponized its prison system to crush the Kashmiri freedom movement, turning jails into torture chambers and isolating voices of resistance.
In a recent statement, Mushtaq Ahmad Butt, Secretary Information of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), expressed deep concern over the deteriorating conditions of Kashmiri political prisoners. He stated that these individuals are being punished solely for their political beliefs, for demanding the right to self-determination, and for raising their voice against the occupying power. The prisoners face prolonged detention, physical and psychological torture, medical neglect, and complete denial of fundamental human rights.
**Indian Prisons: Torture Cells or Death Chambers?*
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Mushtaq Ahmad Butt described Indian prisons as “death chambers” where inhuman conditions, solitary confinement, denial of medical treatment, and restrictions on family visits slowly but systematically push Kashmiri leaders toward death. Among the prominent detainees is senior Hurriyat leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, currently languishing in New Delhi’s notorious Tihar Jail. He suffers from serious health conditions, including cancer, yet Indian authorities have consistently denied him appropriate medical care and even restricted family visitation.
*Shabir Ahmad Shah: Prisoner of Conscience, Symbol of Freedom*
Shabir Ahmad Shah is a name that has become synonymous with Kashmir’s peaceful resistance. Often referred to as a “prisoner of conscience” and the “Nelson Mandela of Kashmir”, Shah has spent nearly 38 years in Indian prisons. His deteriorating health amid continued incarceration is not just a humanitarian tragedy but a reflection of India’s deliberate policy to silence Kashmiri leadership.
“This is not an isolated case,” Butt emphasized. “It is part of a systematic state policy to break the spirit of resistance and eliminate the leadership advocating for freedom, dignity, and justice.”
*Draconian Laws and the Incarceration of Innocence*
Draconian legislations such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA) have become tools of oppression in the hands of the Indian state. Thousands of Kashmiri youths, activists, journalists, and students are languishing in jails under these laws, many without formal charges or fair trial.
Shabir Shah is among many who have been detained under these harsh laws. His condition evokes the painful memories of others who died in custody due to state neglect and inhuman treatment—names such as Ashraf Khan Sehrai, Altaf Ahmad Shah, and Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, who were denied timely medical aid and succumbed to preventable conditions behind bars.
“These are not unfortunate deaths,” Butt stated. “They are state-sanctioned slow killings designed to decimate Kashmiri resistance.”
*Violations of International Law*
India’s treatment of Kashmiri political prisoners flagrantly violates the Geneva Conventions (1949), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and other international human rights instruments.
Persecuting individuals based on their religion, nationality, or political beliefs constitutes a war crime. Mushtaq Ahmad Butt asserted that the international community’s silence only emboldens India’s impunity.
*A Deafening Silence from the International Community*
Despite numerous reports and expressions of concern by the United Nations, International Court of Justice, European Union, OIC, and global human rights organizations, no concrete steps have been taken to hold India accountable.
Butt called on the global community to act urgently, stating, “The lives of leaders like Shabir Ahmad Shah are hanging in the balance. Their detention is a moral test for the world, a challenge to the principles of human dignity and justice.”
*Resistance Cannot Be Imprisoned*
In conclusion, Mushtaq Ahmad Butt declared that India’s belief that prisons, torture, and draconian laws will extinguish the flame of Kashmiri resistance is a grave miscalculation. “Despite the brutality, the Kashmiri people have never surrendered their voice,” he said. “Shabir Ahmad Shah and thousands like him are living symbols of our struggle for freedom—symbols whose patience, sacrifice, and courage will be etched in history forever.”
Now the question is for the world to answer:
Will the international community uphold its commitment to human rights by demanding the release and protection of Kashmiri political prisoners? Or will it continue to ignore India’s atrocities, thereby becoming complicit in a historic injustice?