Indias court hands down life sentences to Kashmiri separatist leader Aasiya Andrabi

Three Indian court officials have sentenced prominent Kashmiri separatist Aasiya Andrabi to three life sentences and two associates to 30 years in jail.

Aasiya Andrabi, founder of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, a banned all-women’s organization, was convicted on March 24 by a special National Investigative Agency court in New Delhi. Two of her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, were also given life sentences.

The three women were arrested by the NIA in 2018 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The UAPA was introduced in 2008 and has been amended several times since then.

Andrabi was accused of waging war against the Indian government, raising funds for terrorist acts, and being a member of a terrorist group. However, Judge Chander Jit Singh found no evidence related to these charges but convicted her on less serious allegations such as provoking hostility between communities, undermining national integration, and instigating public disorder.

Legal experts say Andrabi’s conviction is mainly based on offensive speech-making, which raises questions about India’s tolerance of dissenting voices. The UAPA has been criticized for its broad scope and ability to criminalize a range of activities, including ideology.

Andrabi was already 64 years old when she was sentenced and had spent over 10 years in Indian jails since her first imprisonment in 1993. Her husband, Ashiq Hussain Faktoo, a former rebel leader, has also remained imprisoned since 1992.

The court’s verdict has sparked concerns about India’s treatment of dissenting voices in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Source: Al Jazeera