Kashmiri rights defender, journalist released from prison on bail in ‘terror funding’ case

Prominent Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj have been released from prison after an Indian court granted them bail in a “terror funding” case.

Parvez, 49, and Mehraj, 31, were accused in a case registered in 2020 by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The agency accused the two of financing militant activities through the human rights group Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), allegations they deny.

Parvez, a program coordinator at JKCCS, was arrested in 2021 and spent 1,703 days in custody, while Mehraj was detained in 2023 and spent 1,219 days in prison.

A relative of Parvez told Anadolu that he had been released but was not permitted to travel outside the Indian capital, New Delhi, where he had been held in prison.

The court ordered him to remain in New Delhi, said the relative, who wished to remain anonymous.

Parvez and Mehraj were released from a New Delhi prison late Wednesday after the Delhi High Court refused to stay the bail order despite an appeal by the NIA.

The court, however, imposed additional restrictions while it considers the agency’s appeal.

In a joint statement, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) welcomed their release but said it came after years of "arbitrary detention."

The groups urged Indian authorities to "immediately drop all charges," saying the proceedings were "politically motivated" and aimed at discrediting their work.