AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL RAPS INDIA OVER KASHMIR MESS

• Repeal security legislations

• Carry impartial probe into Shopian incident

• What about past inquiries?

. Police, troopers fired live ammunition at protestors

• Police failed to interview potential witnesses

• Present detained leaders before judicial authority

Rising Kashmir News Srinagar, June 11: The Amnesty International has criticized New Delhi for the continued human rights violations in Kashmir and the recent rape and murder of two women allegedly by troopers.In its report released on Wednesday, the Amnesty called on Indian authorities to immediately carry out fair and impartial investigations into the allegations of paramilitary CRPF involvement in the murders and sexual assault of the two women.
The two women, 22-year-old Aasiya Jan and her sister-in-law, 17-year-old Nilofer Jan, went missing when they went to tend their family fruit orchard on 29 May at Nagbal near Shopian. Their bodies were discovered next day in two different places at Ranbi Ara, a stream close to paramilitary CRPF camp.The Amnesty report said police and paramilitary forces had resorted to firing at protesters in several places including Shopian, Baramulla and Srinagar. “Reports from hospitals that admitted the injured indicate that troops fired both live ammunition and rubber bullets.”Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director, Sam Zarifi said authorities should ensure that troops comply with international human rights standards on law enforcement, in particular those relating to the use of force to deal with protestors. “Any instance of excessive use of force should be impartially investigated. These protests are about the ongoing failure of the Indian government to bring troopers to justice for serious human rights violations.”The report said police had failed to interview potential witnesses even as the state authorities ordered a judicial inquiry into the murders.The Amnesty called for repeal of the security legislation in force in Jammu and Kashmir that facilitates impunity by providing discretionary powers to troopers and effectively enabling them to violate human rights.It also expressed serious concern over the effectiveness of past inquiries ordered by the authorities into human rights violations including unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and sexual assault of women.The report said that Amnesty had received information on 8 June that at least four pro-freedom Kashmiri leaders had been arbitrarily detained.“No charge has been leveled against them so far,” the Amnesty said. “One of the detained leaders, Syed Ali Geelani was taken to an unknown destination. Yasin Malik, Javed Mir and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were placed under house arrest.”Amnesty called on the authorities to disclose details of their detention including as to how they are being treated and immediately release those detained unless they are charged with a recognizable criminal offence.Amnesty International has also said that they should only be held in official and acknowledged places of detention and brought promptly before an independent judicial authority.