Islamabad: The Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK) has released its comprehensive Bi-Annual Review for 2024, detailing severe human rights violations and escalating repression in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJK). This report underscores the ongoing plight of the Kashmiri people and calls for urgent international intervention.
The Bi-Annual Review meticulously documents a wide array of human rights abuses perpetrated by Indian occupying authorities and forces in the first six months of 2024. According to the report, the period from January to June 2024 saw a continued trend of state repression, with 202 cordon and search operations (CASOs) leading to 72 killings. These include the deaths of 19 civilians, 23 freedom fighters, and 30 Indian occupying personnel.
LFK’s investigation highlights numerous instances of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and the use of anti-terror laws to suppress dissent and silence human rights defenders. The report reveals the systematic use of torture and other forms of inhumane treatment against civilians, aiming to instill fear and suppress any form of resistance.
In a grim account of the ongoing conflict, the report details how heightened militarization has exacerbated the human tragedy in IOJK. The occupying forces have not only intensified their military operations but have also engaged in confiscation and demolition of civilian properties, leading to significant displacement and suffering among the local population.
The further sheds light on the plight of human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists who have faced increased targeting and persecution. The occupying authorities’ misuse of anti-terror laws has criminalized the efforts of civil society organizations, socio-religious groups, and independent media, effectively stifling free expression and assembly.
LFK’s on-ground research and data collection, supported by credible sources including official records, media reports, and NGO fact-finding missions, provide a solid foundation for the report’s findings. The organization calls upon the international community to not only hold the direct perpetrators accountable but also those who order, instigate, or incite these human rights violations.
