Wife of Kashmiri socio-religious activist detained by India

On 25th November, India’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) arrested Shabroza Bano, wife of Sarjan Ahmad Barkati, under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Barkati is a religious preacher who has been incarcerated for his involvement in Kashmiri right to self-determination movement.

In September, last year, India arrested Barkati and he has been under arbitrary detention ever since. This is not the first time Barkati was arrested. Following the killing of popular pro-freedom armed commander, Burhan Wani, in 2016, Barkati was kept under arbitrary detention for more than four years, only to be released in October 2020. 

Barkati and his wife, Shabroza Bano, have a small daughter who now has lost both her parents in incarceration. 

Bano is now part of many Kashmiri female political prisoners, who India has incarcerated for their political and social activism. 

Female political prisoners such as Asiya Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda, Nahida Nasreen, and others have been under illegal detention for more than 5 years.