Amnesty International

Jammu & Kashmir

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on 4^th July 2019, regarding the denial to Amnesty International India to hold a press conference to release report in Srinagar.

On 12 June 2019, Amnesty International India had planned a press conference in a private hotel in Srinagar, to discuss the findings of their report on the misuse of the Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act. The report had findings relating to arbitrary detentions and judicial harassment. No prior permission was required however, on 11 June, 2019 a day before the press conference, the hotel called, Amnesty’s local consultant Mr. Zahoor Wani stating that the police had visited them and told them not to let Amnesty have the Press Conference since they did not have permission. Amnesty met the DC who informed them that the permission would be given and sent a referral to the SSP whom Amnesty met, who in turn sent it down to the Superintendent of Police. The next morning, when they called the SSP, Srinagar at around 10:45 AM, he said that the confidential police report had already gone in the previous evening to the DC, hence Amnesty went to the DC office and his staff informed them that the police cited prevailing law and order situation and hence not to have this event. A written order/response of denial was sought but were refused the same. On the way back to hotel, Mr. Wani received two phone calls from Police Station Kothibagh, asking him to report there. He saw large number of policemen at the hotel to ascertain that they would not be holding the press conference at the planned venue or meet the press at the hotel.

HRDA has prayed for immediate and impartial investigation into the above mentioned case and assurance that human rights organisations in Jammu & Kashmir are allowed to carry out their genuine human rights work as per the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.