NEW DELHI — A prominent Kashmiri human rights activist, Khurram Parvez, was arrested by Indian security forces on Monday and charged under a strict antiterrorism law, his family said, amid growing concerns that the Indian authorities are abusing the law to quash dissent. The arrest was widely condemned, including by rights groups and a rapporteur for the United Nations, who have called for Mr. Parvez’s release. Mr. Parvez’s brother, Sheikh Shariyar, said the authorities carried out a four-hour search of their home on Monday and took Mr. Parvez away for what they said would be routine questioning. But the family was later told that Mr. Parvez had been arrested and would be transferred to New Delhi. A copy of the arrest memo showed that Mr. Parvez was being charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, an antiterrorism law with roots in the British colonial era that makes being freed on bail extremely difficult.

Source: New York Times November 23, 2021 22:41 UTC