India officials stop Amnesty International event in Kashmir
Kashmir Updates - Washington Post (Associated Press) - June 12, 2019
SRINAGAR, India — Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir stopped Amnesty International from holding an event on Wednesday announcing a report on detention of activists in the disputed region under a law that allows people to be held for up to two years without trial.
The authorities cited the “prevailing law and order situation,” said Aakar Patel, head of the Indian chapter of the global rights watchdog. He said the officials did not give any other explanation.
For years, rights groups, including Amnesty International, have criticized India for using the Public Safety Act to stifle voices of dissent in Kashmir.
Amnesty International released the report online later Wednesday. It said the law circumvents the criminal justice system in the region “to undermine accountability, transparency and respect for human rights.”
Calling it a “lawless law,” the group urged that it be repealed, saying it violates several of India’s obligations under international human rights law.
The report studies the cases of 210 people who were detained under the law between 2012 and 2018.
“This act is contributing to inflaming tensions between the state authorities and local populace and must be immediately repealed,” Patel said.
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