Expressing strong resentment over the extension of judicial remand for Asiya Andrabi and her two associates, the Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik Tuesday said all the leaders and activists booked by NIA were maltreated by jail authorities in New Delhi.
The JRL has sought intervention by global rights bodies including Amnesty International, Asia Watch and ICRC and asked them to visit jails across J&K to observe prisoners’ plight.
In a joint statement issued here, the JRL said, “NIA and the Enforcement Directorate has already booked dozens of resistance leaders and Kashmiri businessmen under frivolous charges and all those arrested continue to remain lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail along with the dreaded criminals.”
The leadership said that these leaders are denied a fair trial as the jail authorities hurl excuses to evade the trial when the dates come close.
“Kashmiri prisoners languishing in Tihar, Kotbalwal, Jammu, Kathua, Kotbalwal and Udhampur are being meted out very ill treatment and are even kept away from the basic medical aid, which should serve an eye opener for the international community,” the statement reads.
The leadership expressed serious concern over the deteriorating condition of resistance leaders arrested by NIA and ED languishing in Tihar Jail that include Shabir Ahmed Shah, Advocate Shahidul Islam, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajudin Kalwal, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Shahid Yousuf and a prominent business men Zahoor Ahmed Watali.
“We urge the international rights groups to visit various India jails to get firsthand account of the pain and atrocities inflicted on the Kashmiri prisoners,” the statement said.
The leadership said that the relatives of most of the Kashmiri resistance leaders who met them in Tihar narrated a painful tale that includes non-availability of sleeping material, medicines, and things required by a person on a daily basis.
“All the prisoners complained of the absence of proper medical aid guaranteed by the jail manual,” the statement said.
“Those claiming to be the champions of democracy are themselves violating the rules of democracy as witnessed in Tihar jail.”
The leadership appealed the heads of all rights forums across the globe that include Amnesty International, Asia Watch, and ICRC urging them to conduct a thorough visit of various Indian and other jails of Jammu and Kashmir that include Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, Kotbalwal, and also the Central Jail Srinagar to take the stock of the ill treatment meted out to the prisoners.