Justice for All Statement on Kashmir Solidarity Day

Today, on Kashmir Solidarity Day, Justice for All stands in unwavering solidarity with the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, who have endured 78 years of occupation, repression, and systematic human rights violations while struggling for their U.N.-mandated right to self-determination.

The Indian state’s persistent suppression of Kashmiri political aspirations has resulted in egregious and ongoing abuses, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

As part of our commitment to documenting and exposing these violations, Justice for All comprehensively documented the severe human rights violations committed by the Indian state in the year 2024 against Kashmiri people. The human rights violations including:

• Torture, arbitrary detentions, and extrajudicial killings targeting civilians and political dissidents.
• Property confiscation and forced evictions, rendering families homeless.
• Economic exploitation, where development projects cause ecological destruction, disenfranchise Kashmiris, and benefit external Indian investors.
• Indianization of Kashmiri cultural heritage, through renaming institutions, altering textbooks, and erasing Kashmiri identity.
• Systematic infringements on religious freedoms, such as banning congregational prayers, arresting religious leaders, and preventing religious processions.
• Suppression of press freedom, silencing journalists and restricting independent reporting.

Violations of International Law

India’s actions violate multiple international treaties and human rights frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the Hague Regulations.

• Torture by Indian forces directly contravenes the UDHR and ICCPR.
• The arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of Kashmiris are justified using vague definitions like “hybrid militant” and “over-ground worker”, allowing authorities to imprison civilians without evidence or fair trials. Prisoners often lose all contact with their families, causing immense psychological trauma.
• Religious persecution has intensified, with the Chief Muslim preacher placed under house arrest, religious gatherings banned, and Kashmiri Islamic traditions suppressed—violating UDHR and ICCPR guarantees of religious freedom.
• India’s failure to clear landmines from conflict zones, despite being a signatory to the Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, endangers civilians and demonstrates gross negligence.
• Tampering with Kashmiri identity, including renaming places, altering history in school curriculums, and banning the Kashmiri national anthem, directly violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, and ICCPR.
• Banning of pro-freedom political groups under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) criminalizes dissent and advocacy for Kashmiri self-determination.

Settler-Colonialism and Economic Disenfranchisement

The Indian state is not only targeting those advocating for Kashmiri freedom but also those defending Kashmir’s ecology and resources. The coordinated strategy to marginalize and oppress the Kashmiri people through land grabs, resource exploitation, and employment expulsions has resulted in large-scale economic disenfranchisement. These actions, aimed at altering the demographic and cultural landscape, are part of an ongoing settler-colonial project that undermines the rights and identity of the indigenous Kashmiri population.

The Urgent Need for International Intervention

Human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir are not isolated incidents—they are part of a systematic, state-sanctioned campaign of repression. Efforts by Kashmiris to seek justice through domestic legal channels are routinely obstructed, and even rare favorable court rulings are ignored. The legal system enables a culture of impunity, shielding perpetrators while leaving victims without recourse.

India’s occupation of Kashmir is not merely a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan—it is a humanitarian crisis with devastating consequences for millions of Kashmiris. While the world debates geopolitics, the human cost of this occupation—the suffering, trauma, and generational loss—remains ignored.

On this Kashmir Solidarity Day, Justice for All calls on:

• The United Nations to uphold its resolutions on Kashmir and take concrete steps toward fulfilling the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
• Governments, human rights organizations, and civil society to hold India accountable for its violations of international law.
• Journalists and media outlets to break the silence and expose the reality of the situation in Kashmir.
• All people of conscience to stand in solidarity with Kashmiris in their struggle for justice, freedom, and dignity.

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to advocating for the rights of the Kashmiri people and ensuring that their voices are heard. Justice will not be served until the people of Kashmir achieve their fundamental rights and freedoms.