An Indian court sentences Kashmiri leader Asiya Andrabi to life in prison for fabricating cases.
Senior Hurriyat leader Asiya Andrabi was sentenced to life in prison by an Indian court, while Hurriyat leaders Fahmeeda Sofi and Nahida Nasreen were sentenced to 30 years each. These sentences show a personal grudge against those who are advocating for their right to self-determination in the Held Valley.
Andrabi, the leader of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, was reportedly jailed in accordance with parts of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
Fehmeeda Sofi and Naheeda Nasreen, two of her close associates, were also given 30-year prison terms by the court.
India’s National Investigation Agency looked into the case and requested the harshest penalty possible.
After hearing arguments, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jeet Singh rendered the decision. Since her arrest in April 2018, Andrabi has been detained.
Human rights groups have denounced the decision, citing issues with due process and characterizing the case as politically motivated.
They contend that it is a reflection of larger conflicts and difficulties surrounding dissent in the area.
Dukhtaran-e-Millat, which Andrabi created in 1987, has a long history of supporting Kashmiri political rights in India-held Kashmir.
Ghulam Muhammad Safi, the convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), has vehemently denounced the ruling of the Indian judiciary.
In a statement released today, he stated that the verdicts violated fundamental human rights, international law, and the norms of justice.
According to Safi, the rulings are a continuation of what he described as continuous state persecution, judicial exploitation, and violations of human rights in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), in addition to reflecting political retaliation.
He claimed that accusing Hurriyat leaders of fabricating and baseless cases and then imposing long sentences is an unsuccessful attempt to quell the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, which is acknowledged by UN resolutions.
He added that the Indian judiciary frequently seems to serve as a tool of the state narrative and has failed to uphold neutrality in situations pertaining to Kashmir.
He went on to say that Andrabi, Sofi, and Nasreen’s sentences are unmistakable proof that dissent is being criminalized in an attempt to suppress Kashmiri leadership.
History, according to Safi, shows that the Kashmiri people’s determination has not been weakened or their struggle put on hold by the use of force, arrests, detentions, and coercive measures.
Additionally, the Hurriyat chairman urged the European Union, the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and international human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to take prompt action.
He urged them to pressure India to release political prisoners and ensure an end to human rights violations in the region.
He called on the international community to play an effective role in resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, stressing that delays in justice not only perpetuate oppression but also pose a threat to regional peace and stability.
Safi declared that the Kashmiri people will not let their sacrifices be in vain and voiced complete solidarity with Aasiya Andrabi, Fahmida Sofi, Nahida Nasreen, and all political prisoners.