Khurram Parvez

Khurram Parvez
Born1977
Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Occupation(s)Chairperson, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
Known forHuman rights work
SpouseSameena Khurram
Children2
AwardsReebok Human Rights Award (2006)
Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (2023)
HonoursFeatured in Time Magazine's 100 most influential people list (2022)

Khurram Parvez is a Kashmiri human rights activist.[1][2] He is the chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)[3] and the program coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society.[4][5] Khurram is a recipient of the 2006 Reebok Human Rights Award.[6][7] Parvez was included in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in 2022.[8]

Education and Work

Parvez holds a Masters in Mass Communication from Kashmir University. He was a Chevening Fellow at University of Glasgow in 2005.[9][10]

He co-founded Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) along with Parvez Imroz in 2000, and serves as its program coordinator. JKCCS works on building alliances among local civil society organizations and publishes reports on human rights violations in the territory.[10][11]

He serves as the Chairperson of Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances and the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Federation for Human Rights.[12] He holds the position of Distinguished Scholar at the Political Conflict, Gender and People’s Rights Initiative at the University of California, Berkeley's Center for Race and Gender.[13]

In 2023, Parvez was awarded the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.[14]

Detentions

2016 arrest

On 14 September 2016, he was first stopped by Indian authorities at New Delhi airport to prevent him from attending the 33rd UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva to brief UN bodies, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and foreign governments on the alleged atrocities committed by Indian state forces in Jammu and Kashmir during 2016 Kashmir violence.[4][15]

Parvez was later arrested on 15 September by Indian officials from his home in Srinagar.[16] Later on 16 September 2016, Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society stated that Khurram Parvez has been detained without formal arrest or notifications, and in violation of his rights to information, and legal counsel.[17][18][19] On 21 September, a day after a sessions court ordered his release, Khurram Parvez had been detained a second time under Public Safety Act (PSA).[20][21] On 25 Nov 2016, Jammu Kashmir High Court quashed his detention, even then he was not released from prison.[22] After 76 days of detention,[23] on 30 November he was finally released from prison following the orders[24] of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.[25]

Cases under UAPA

Parvez was arrested on November 22, 2021 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). In this case, Parvez was accused of being part of a "larger conspiracy" that involved recruiting overground workers for Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based organization designated as a terrorist group by India. His home and office were raided.[26][27]

In March 2023, Parvez was arrested in another case, nearly two and a half years after the FIR was filed, although he had already been detained since November 2021. Journalist Irfan Mehraj, alleged Hizbul Mujahideen commander Ghulam Hassan Ganai, JKCCS president Parvez Imroz, and Natasha Rather, a member of the JKCCS, have also been accused in this case which was filed on 18 October 2020. As part of the evidence, the NIA referenced two human rights reports published by JKCCS, titled "Structures of Violence" (2015) and the "Torture Report" (2019), arguing that these reports promoted secessionism and harmed India’s image under the guise of human rights work.[28]

Reactions to arrest

BBC reported that his arrest "caused global outrage amid calls for his release."[29] His arrest has been seen as a part of the authorities' ongoing human rights violations in Kashmir and criticized by several international human rights organizations.[30] Some lawyers have voiced concerns, suggesting that treating Human Rights reports published by JKCCS as evidence of terrorism could deter other groups from investigating and reporting on human rights abuses.[28]

Civicus, an international non-profit, has stated that Parvez "has faced systematic harassment" because of his work.[31]

Personal life

Parvez is married to Sameena Khurram and has a son.[10]

References

  1. ^ Chatterji, Angana P. "The Militarized Zone", in Ali, Tariq; Bhat, Hilal; Chatterji, Angana P.; Khatun, Habbah; Misra, Pankaj; Roy, Arundhati (24 October 2011). Kashmir: The Case for Freedom. Verso Books. p. 123. ISBN 9781844677351.
  2. ^ Quraishi, Humra (2004). Kashmir, the Untold Story. Penguin Books India. p. 156. ISBN 9780143030874.
  3. ^ Secretariat, AFAD. "Stop Harassment Of Human Rights Defenders In Kashmir!". www.afad-online.org. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. ^ a b Bhatnagar, Gaurav Vivek. "Kashmiri Human Rights Activist Headed for UN Meet Detained at Delhi Airport". The Wire (India). Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  5. ^ "Rights activist Khurram Pervez detained". Kashmir Monitor. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  6. ^ Mozumder, Suman Guha (9 May 2006). "J&K activist gets Reebok Human Rights Award". Rediff News. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Award to Khurram vindicates fight for human rights: Imroz". Greater Kashmir. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Khurram Parvez 'modern-day David': Time 100 most influential list". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  9. ^ Mohan, Saadhya (23 November 2021). "Who Is Khurram Parvez, the 'Human Rights Defender' of J&K Arrested Under UAPA?". The Quint. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Bhat, Tariq (23 November 2021). "Who is Khurram Parvez, Kashmiri human rights activist arrested by NIA?". The Week. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its 96th session: Opinion No. 8/2023 concerning Khurram Parvez (India)". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 5 June 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  12. ^ "India: Two years of arbitrary detention of Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez". International Federation for Human Rights. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Political Conflict, Gender and People's Rights Initiative | Center for Race and Gender". crg.berkeley.edu. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Khurram Parvez". Martin Ennals Award. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez detained day after being stopped at Delhi's IGI". The Hindustan Times. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  16. ^ "India: Activist Blocked from UN Meeting, Detained". Human Rights Watch. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017. Khurram Parvez was arrested in his home on 15 September 2016, a day after being prevented from leaving the country with a group of rights activists who were traveling to Geneva to raise concerns about violations during the security force crackdown in Jammu and Kashmir to contain violent street protests.
  17. ^ "J&K Police arrests human rights activist Khurram Parvez". The Indian Express. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  18. ^ Raj, Suhasini (15 September 2016). "India Prevents Kashmiri Activist From Traveling to U.N. Meeting". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  19. ^ "India: Kashmir police arrest activist Khurram Parvez". AlJazeera. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  20. ^ Masood, Bashaarat (22 September 2016). "Day after court 'sets free' activist Khurram Parvez, J&K govt books him under PSA". The Indian Express. Retrieved 22 January 2017. A day after a sessions court ordered his release, the Jammu and Kashmir government invoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) against human rights activist Khurram Parvez.
  21. ^ "India: Kashmiri human rights activist re-arrested". Amnesty International. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017. Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez has been detained a second time, after a court ordered his release from administrative detention on Tuesday.
  22. ^ Vivek Bhatnagar, Gaurav (28 November 2022). "Khurram Parvez Remains in Custody Despite HC Order Overruling Detention". The Wire. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Kashmir: Human rights activist Khurram Parvez released". Al Jazeera English. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017. Parvez said on his Facebook page the 76-day detention was a difficult time for him and his family.
  24. ^ "High Court orders release of prominent Kashmiri human rights activist". The Express Tribune. Reuters. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017. A court in Indian held Kashmir on Friday ordered police to release a prominent Kashmiri human rights activist arrested two months ago on charges of involvement in activities against the public order, saying authorities had no evidence.
  25. ^ Bukhari, Fayaz (30 November 2016). "Released from jail, Kashmiri activist vows to fight for prisoner rights". Reuters. Retrieved 22 January 2017. A prominent Kashmiri human rights activist who was released from prison on Wednesday said his two-month detention had strengthened his resolve to highlight violations against prisoners in India's restive Himalayan state.
  26. ^ "Khurram Parvez: Kashmiri rights activist arrested under anti-terror law". BBC News. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  27. ^ "How a terrorism law in India is being used to silence Modi's critics". the Guardian. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  28. ^ a b Sharma, Betwa (28 August 2024). "How The Case Against Kashmiri Activist Khurram Parvez Criminalises Human Rights Reports & Fact-Finding". article-14.com. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Khurram Parvez: Kashmiri rights activist arrested under anti-terror law". BBC. 23 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  30. ^ "India: Release Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, arbitrarily detained for 1,000 days". International Federation for Human Rights. 19 August 2024. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  31. ^ "India: Chronology of harassment against human rights defender Khurram Parvez". Civicus. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2024.

Bibliography