India releases Kashmir activist, journalist Khurram Parvez and Irfan Mehraj on bail

Authorities in New Delhi released Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj on bail late Wednesday, their families said, years after their arrests on terrorism charges in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Their release follows a court order that India's National Investigation Agency had tried and failed to block.

Who are Khurram Parvez and Irfan Mehraj?

Khurram Parvez is the program coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, a rights group that has spent decades documenting alleged abuses by Indian government forces. He was arrested from his Srinagar home in 2021. Irfan Mehraj is a freelance journalist who worked with the same organization and was arrested in 2023.

What charges do Parvez and Mehraj face?

Both men face charges of funding terrorism and propagating a secessionist agenda under India's anti-terror laws. These laws allow authorities to detain suspects without trial for extended periods. The National Investigation Agency appealed their bail, but a higher court upheld the order and let them go free.

What are the conditions of their bail?

Their release comes with strict limits on their movement and activity. Parvez and Mehraj must arrange their own accommodation in New Delhi, where they continue to face trial. They are barred from traveling to Indian-administered Kashmir, according to a court document seen by AFP.

What has JKCCS documented in Kashmir?

The Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society has for decades reported on alleged rights violations by Indian security forces, including torture and unlawful killings. The group has also drawn attention to thousands of unmarked graves in border areas. It believes these graves may hold the remains of people who were forcibly disappeared during the conflict.

Why did rights groups call for Parvez's release?

International rights organizations have repeatedly demanded Parvez's release since his arrest. In 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention described his detention as an act of reprisal for his human rights work. The panel said the arrest was intended to silence him and Kashmiri civil society more broadly.

Why are journalists in Kashmir facing arrests?

Several journalists in Indian-administered Kashmir say they have faced harassment and detention since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government revoked the region's partial autonomy in 2019. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 3,600 people were arrested there under anti-terror laws, according to government figures. More than half of those arrested remain in prison.

Why is Kashmir divided between India and Pakistan?

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since both nations gained independence from British rule in 1947. Each country claims the Himalayan territory in full, and the nuclear-armed neighbors have fought several conflicts over it, most recently last year. Rebel groups have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence for Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians.