Human rights groups have condemned measures taken by India against Khurram Parvez, a Kashmiri human rights defender, who was prevented from leaving the country to attend a session of the UN Human Rights Council on Sept. 14.
Parvez, who is also chairman of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), was not given a valid reason nor was he informed of the grounds for the decision to prohibit him from leaving the country.
In a statement on Sept. 15, the Manila-based AFAD said the ban imposed on its chairman is a "violation of his freedom of movement and "a clear attempt to interfere with his work as a human rights defender."
The International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances also condemned India's decision to bar Parvez from traveling.
"In our view, travel bans preventing human rights defenders from accessing the UN are desperate efforts to isolate the people in Jammu and Kashmir, while ensuring impunity for the denial of basic human rights," the group said in a statement.