Human rights defender and a veteran Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez who is in jail in New Delhi under draconian law is the 2023 Laureate for the Martin Ennals Award for human rights defenders, the organisers announced.
“Khurram Parvez’s life mission as a human rights activist was mapped out when, as a young boy he witnessed the tragic shooting of his grandfather at a protest. He could have sought revenge, but instead chose to contribute nonviolently to the 70-year conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, allegedly the most militarized region in the world,” read a note by award committee.
On 22 November, 2021, Khurram Parvez was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), reportedly on allegations of “terrorism funding, being a member of a terrorist organization, criminal conspiracy, and waging war against the state.” He has since been held in Rohini Prison Complex, 500 kilometers from his family.
The award committee went on to say: ”Founder and Programme Coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and the Chair of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, a collective of 13 non-governmental organisations from ten Asian countries, Khurram Parvez relentlessly investigated and reported on violations in Kashmir, including the indefinite detention and extrajudicial execution of activists, torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and widespread impunity. Despite facing repression and attacks by State and non-State actors, he courageously continued to denounce violations of rights and became an inspiration to young Kashmiris as well as students from India and abroad whom he encouraged to seek peaceful conflict resolution. He also engaged with the United Nations and other international organisations to develop global solidarity for Kashmiris.”
”In 2004, Parvez’s left leg was amputated due to a landmine injury he suffered while monitoring the parliamentary elections. In 2016, he was banned from travelling to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, and was then arrested for 76 days,” it added.
