Human Rights
Joint Resistance condemns use of force on civilians, stages protest against abuse of prisoners
Srinagar: Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik ‘paid rich tributes to five armed youth martyred’ in two separate gunfights between militants and armed forces at Budgam and Sagipora, Sopore
The JRL ‘strongly condemned the use of force on protestors which left eight of them injured in indiscriminate bullet, pellet and tear gas shelling’ and termed it as ‘absolute highhandedness of forces’.
On the directions of JRL, activists of Hurriyat (G), Hurriyat (M) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) staged a protest march from Jamia Masjid to Nowhatta chowk in downtown Srinagar and later staged a protest sit in at the main chowk Nowhatta against the manhandling and the brutal assault on the Kashmiri prisoners at Tihar Jail New Delhi.
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The protestors demanding release and unconditional shifting of all the Kashmiri prisoners lodged in various jails which include notorious prison of Tihar, Kotbalwal, and Kathua, back to Kashmir.
The protestors said the recent assault on the prisoners in Tihar and the ill treatment meted out to others lodged in Kathua where prisoners are facing inhuman treatment by jail authorities stands an eye-opener for the champions of prisoners rights, human rights bodies and world organisations.
The protestors reiterated that the resistance leaders lodged in Tihar jail that include Shabir Ahmed Shah, Advocate Shahidul Islam, Altaf Fantoosh, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Mehrajudin Kalwal, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar ,Shahid Yousuf ,Kamran and Zahoor Watali are also facing inhuman behaviour by the jail authorities besides they are being deprived of all the basic facilities which includes medial aid.
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The protestors also said that denying the basic facilities that includes proper food, clothing and medical aid to these prisoners is against the international principles of prisoners rights.
The added that the Kashmiri prisoners languishing in various prisons are not criminals and haven’t committed any crime or offence other than the one which includes representing the true aspirations of Kashmiri people and raising voice against the injustices.
The protestors said that those claiming to be the champions of democracy are themselves throwing the basic principles of democracy to the wind as seen in the case of recent assault on the innocent prisoners at Tihar.
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The protestors that included Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Muhammad Rafiq Owasi, Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Muhstaq Ahmed Sofi, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Sheikh Abdur Rashid, Advocate Yasir Dalal, Umar Adil Dar, Muhammad Yasin Bhat, Farooq Ahmed Saudagar, Syed Imtiyaz Haidar, Muhammad Jamaal Bucho, Ghulam Muhammad Dar, and Rameez Raja, said that plight of Kashmiri prisoners is a cause of concern and people and the leadership cant remain silent on it.
(With inputs from KNS)
