Kashmiri prisoners facing ‘inhuman and ill treatment: Geelani

Srinagar: Seriously concerned about the pathetic conditions of jails in and outside the state, All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani, has said that the way, prisoners are treated rather ill-treated in various jails, has surpassed all the limits of the human and legal sphere. Geelani on Monday said that these helpless prisoners are facing inhuman and ill treatment, unlawfully and unnecessarily shifted outside jails and harassed on one pretext or the other. Those languishing in Tihar, Central jail Srinagar, Jammu, Delhi and other jails are facing extreme situations and hence observing hunger strike for many days.
Geelani termed it, the revengeful and biased behavior of jails authorities, saying these inmates are subjected to the worst physical torture, they are abused and beaten to pulp by using every repressive technique to force them to subjugation.
Geelani said that these inmates and particularly those lodged in central Jail Srinagar and Udhampur are degraded, humiliated and debouched repeatedly which puts them under severe psychological and mental stress, effecting their physical wellbeing as well and if somebody takes ill they are denied proper medical treatment. Referring to biased authorities in Udhampur jail, Syed Ali Geelani said that prisoners lodged here are subjected to third degree torture and are not presented in judiciary on scheduled dates of hearing.
Strongly concerned about the plight of those languishing in central jail Srinagar and jails outside valley, Geelani said that jail authorities try every weapon in their armory of hate to harass and physically insult the prisoners and deliberately kept with hardcore criminals endangering their life.
They are prisoners of conscience, Geelani said and while hailing their commitment and steadfastness, added that they are subjected to political vendetta.
Syed Ali Geelani said that jail authorities are acting as ruthless and insensitive face of the occupant regime, molesting their own laws and regulations, jeopardizing, endangering and threatening the future and life of the prisoners.
Geelani said that proper medical aid and other facilities they are eligible to, according to the jail manual, are completely denied. Substandard food is supplied to the inmates and they’re by putting their lives to danger and trouble. Geelani expressed his deep anguish over the plight of those in jails for decades together, said that slow pace of judiciary, & bureaucracy and the criminal silence of the champions of the human rights, has traumatized and put, not only these inmates in a macabre situation but their families as well
Syed Ali Geelani while hailing the commitment and steadfastness of detainees asked ICRC, Asia Watch, Amnesty International and other Human Rights Organizations to come to the ‘rescue’ of these detainees and impress India to treat detainees as per charter laid by the international community.