Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj were released from Delhi’s Rohini jail late on July 22 after meeting the court’s bail conditions in a case in which they were arrested in March 2023.
Parvez, coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), and Mehraj, a journalist associated with the organisation, were accused of funding terrorist activities and promoting a secessionist agenda in a case investigated by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA).
They have denied wrongdoing.
Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the prosecution, saying the charges were filed in retaliation for their work documenting alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian authorities have previously maintained that investigations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) are conducted in accordance with the law and national security requirements.
Parvez spent 1,703 days in custody without trial, while Mehraj was detained for 1,219 days before being granted bail.
The latest order follows a June 10 decision by the Delhi High Court granting 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 under the UAPA. He has remained in custody since then after courts repeatedly denied him bail.
In 2023, a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said Parvez’s detention was arbitrary and called for his immediate release. India has previously rejected criticism by some international rights bodies and organisations regarding its handling of security-related cases in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA has previously said it investigates offences related to terrorism and national security under Indian law.
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