Kashmiri Rights Activist Khurram Parvez Booked Under UAPA- UN Criticizes His Arrest, Says He’s Not a Terrorist
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested prominent human rights activist Khurram Parvez from Jammu and Kashmir in connection with its ongoing probe in a terror funding case. The anti-terror agency arrested Mr Khurram after raiding his residence and office in Srinagar earlier in the day. First his residence was searched at Gupkar and later his office was raided by the NIA who were assisted by Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF.
The arrest memo says he was arrested in the case, FIR RC-30/2021/NIA/DLI filed on November 6, under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging, attempting to wage, abetting waging of war against the government), and 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121); and Sections 17 (raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy), 18B (recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act) and 40 (raising funds for a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Khurram Parvez’s Arrest has caused global outrage amid calls for his release. Activists and others on social media have called the arrest an attempt to “silence and punish human rights defenders”.
The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, said she was disturbed to hear about Mr Parvez’s arrest. “He is not a terrorist, he is a human rights defender,” she wrote on Twitter.
I’m hearing disturbing reports that Khurram Parvez was arrested today in Kashmir & is at risk of being charged by authorities in #India with terrorism-related crimes. He’s not a terrorist, he’s a Human Rights Defender @mujmash @RaftoFoundation @GargiRawat @NihaMasih pic.twitter.com/9dmZOrSwMY
— Mary Lawlor UN Special Rapporteur HRDs (@MaryLawlorhrds) November 22, 2021
In October 2020, the NIA had searched the residence and office of Mr. Parvez, Bengaluru-based Swati Sheshadri, Parveena Ahanger of the Chairperson of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDPK) during simultaneous raids carried out by the investigating agency.
In 2016 following the protests after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani, Parvez was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) by the then Mehbooba Mufti-led government.
A prominent rights activist, Mr. Parvez, who is also the Chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, was honoured with the Reebok Human Rights Award in 2006 for his work in Kashmir.
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