[Reader-list] JKCCS condemns the assault and arrest Adv. Parvez Imroz

[Khurram Parvez]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 18, 2008 
  
Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society strongly condemns the assault and arrest of its president Adv. Parvez Imroz by State Police, who along with a team had visited Bandipora to monitor the first phase of Assembly Elections, 2008.  
  
The attempt was designed to scuttle the process of independent election monitoring by Coalition of Civil Society in collaboration with other rights activists from different parts of India. Leading human rights activist, Professor K. Babaiah from Karnataka and others were also part of monitoring team. 
  
During the process of monitoring Adv. Imroz along with Professor K. Babaiah and two local volunteers Firdous Ahmad and Ajaz Ahmad were assaulted in the Bandipora town when 70-80 women were protesting and chanting pro-freedom and anti-election slogans at around 12:10 pm.  Adv. Imroz had come out from polling booth 64 Barakpora-B and was about to visit another polling booth. As soon as he appeared on the road along with his team, on one side women were protesting and on the other side a police party lead by SP Junaid Mehmood were running towards the protesters. Adv. Imroz was caught in the mid. Before reaching the protesters the police party pounced on Adv. Parvez Imroz and started beating him with bamboo sticks on his head and even one of the cops hit him with gun butt on the back. After this he was bundled into a Poliec vehicle and was taken to the police station Bandipora. At around 2:15 pm Prof. Babaiah visited police station and informed S.P. Junaid
 Mehmood regarding the purpose of team to visit Bandipora. After the conversation police officials assured Prof. Babaiah that he would be released at the end of the polling but he was not released. 
  
>From 12:15 p.m. to 10:10 p.m. Adv. Imroz along with two volunteers was detained in a cold dark room. 
  
Adv. Parvez Imroz and the two local volunteers were released at 10:15 p.m. only after the intervention of various international human rights organizations.  On his release Police did not charge him and therefore his detention is explicitly illegal and unprovoked. The police officials did not let him stay in the town and they in their own vehicle drove him and other team members to Srinagar and dropped them at 11:35 p.m. 
  
It is pertinent to mention that JKCCS along with civil society groups from various parts of India monitored the Assembly Elections of 2002 and the parliamentary elections 2004. And, subsequently came out with reports. 

  
Spokesperson