Ali Raza Syed urges EU to play its role for release of Khurram Pervaiz, Mohammad Ahsan Unto & other Kashmiri HR activists

BRUSSELS, March 09 (SABAH): Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) Chairman Ali Raza Syed has asked European Union (EU) to use its good offices for early release of Kashmiri human rights activists including Khurram Parvez and Mohammad Ahsan Unto, Journalists Sajjad Gul and Fahad Shah and as well as the political activists detained in the Indian prison.

Ali Raza Syed also appreciated an open letter of 21 Members of European parliament to the Indian higher authorities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling them for immediate release of human rights defenders (HRDs) including Khurram Pervaiz. The letter describes, “ We are deeply worried that prominent HRD Khurram Parvez remains in detention under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in one of the most overcrowded and unsanitary prisons in the country for his documenting of rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir. The MEPs call for immediately and unconditionally release all those detained without basis as reprisal for their human rights work, about Khurram Pervaiz, the letter said, “Khurram Parvez upholding the judicial principle that bail should be the norm and not the exception”.

It is important to mention that KC-EU has already launched a campaign in Europe for release of the prisoners two weeks ago. For a first step of the move, members of KC-EU holding pictures of the Khurram Parvez, Mohammad Ahsan Unto, Sajjad Gul and Fahad Shah stood for a while in front of main gate the European parliament. The KC-EU leadership also wrote letter to the EU authorities demanding them to play their effective role for early release of the prisoners.

In a statement, Chairman Kashmir Council Europe Ali Raza Syed said, this move will also be continued in other European countries.

Ali Raza Syed said, Khurram Parvez and Mohammad Ahsan Unto, Journalists Sajjad Gul and Fahad Shah are detained because they always helped the people of Kashmir in raising their voices against the Indian brutalism in occupied Kashmir particularly they highlighted the terrible incidents of Indian state terrorism in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He said, India can not achieve its evil objectives including concealing war crimes and inhuman acts in occupied land of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ali Raza Syed insisted that KC-EU will bring this move to other European cities in order to aware the world regarding latest situation of human rights in occupied Kashmir. It will also help in building pressure on India for release of Kashmiri human rights activists, journalists and political activists detained by the Indian authorities.

He urged the international community particularly EU to use its good office for early release of the Kashmiri prisoners.

Ali Raza Syed also expressed his concerns on the health issues of some of the Kashmir prisoners including Ahsan Unto and called the world community to pay serious attention towards threats to the life of the Kashmiri activists detailed in the Indian prison.

It is important to mention that beside the human rights activists and journalists, many of the Kashmiri political workers and leaders are in the Indian prisons and these people are including Muhammad Yasin Malik and Shabbir Ahmad Shah imprisoning for a long time. Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai another Kashmiri political leader died in the jail due to lack of basic medical facilities.