Nowhere has the state oppression against religious minorities seen greater belligerence than in the Muslim-majority Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). Fearing strong public resistance against such draconian measures, the state authorities have imposed a military siege to clamp down on dissent. Since August 2019, Indian state forces have carried out extrajudicial executions with brazen impunity, targeting civilians, journalists, academics and students. The consistent use of pellet guns by Indian security forces to disperse crowds raised serious alarm among rights activists and humanitarian agencies. Kashmiri women are vulnerable to gender-based violence and rapidly increasing instances of rape by security forces.
