Kashmiri resistance leader Altaf Shah dies in prison

On 11th October, family members of the jailed Kashmiri pro-freedom leader, Altaf Shah, informed us that he died, weeks after being diagnosed with last-stage cancer. He was denied medical care at the right time despite suffering from such a grave ailment. Shah’s family was not allowed to meet him, or see him, even as he lay on his deathbed. As of now, his body has not been returned. Authorities have told the family that the body shall be returned to them soon.
As soon as the body of Altaf Shah reached Kashmir, the internet was shut down in parts of the valley. A tactic used by authorities to dissuade people from mobilizing for the funerals of political leaders.
The family members of Altaf Shah were denied proper right to burial. Many people were not allowed to participate in the funeral prayer, and according to one of the family members who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity, they were strictly told that in case pro-freedom slogans or even burial-related Islamic prayers are recited aloud, the police would take away the body of the deceased political leader.