LONDON – The UK’s Bar Council and Bar Human Rights Committee of England andWALES on Thursday urged the Indian government to allow independentinvestigative teams to visit Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK).
The letter, addressed to the Indian prime minister, expressed seriousconcern about the “multiple reports of the detention of over 3,000civilians” in the disputed valley after Indian decided to abrogate Article370 in August earlier this year.
The lawyers body called on New Delhi to lift the restrictions imposed andrestore all communications in the region. The groups also asked the Indiangovernment to publish the names of all those individuals, includinglawyers, who have been detained.
The letter said, “Those who remain detained must be afforded access toproper legal representation.”
The Bar Human Rights Committee Chair Schona Jolly said: “Justice delayed isjustice denied. The shockingly slow response of the Indian justice systemto these grave and systemic alleged violations of fundamental human rightsrisks impairing the very essence of the rights themselves.”
The lawyer said that accountability for human rights violations continuesto be evaded by the refusal to permit independent human rights monitors.—INP