SRINAGAR : Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj were released from Delhi’s Rohini Jail late on Wednesday after fulfilling the bail conditions set by a court in a case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Parvez, coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), and Mehraj, a journalist associated with the organisation, were arrested in March 2023 in an NIA case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The agency has alleged that they were involved in funding terrorist activities and promoting a secessionist agenda. Both have denied the allegations.
The two secured their release after complying with the court’s bail conditions. Parvez had spent 1,703 days in custody, while Mehraj was in custody for 1,219 days before being granted bail.
The release comes after the Delhi High Court, on June 10, granted Parvez bail in a separate case, subject to conditions including furnishing a bond, surrendering his passport, residing in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and refraining from making public statements.
Parvez was first arrested by the NIA in November 2021 and had remained in custody since then after courts declined to grant him bail in multiple cases.
Rights organisations have criticised the prosecution of Parvez and Mehraj, alleging that the cases were linked to their human rights and journalistic work. The Indian government has maintained that investigations under the UAPA are conducted in accordance with the law and national security requirements.
In 2023, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention described Parvez’s detention as arbitrary and called for his release. India has previously rejected criticism from some international bodies and organisations regarding its handling of security-related cases in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA has said it investigates offences related to terrorism and national security under the provisions of Indian law.
