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Srinagar, June 13, 2013 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, the veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has impressed upon International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to take cognizance of the plight of detainees languishing in different jails of India and the occupied territory.
In a meeting with the members of the ICRC, Syed Ali Gilani said that the detainees were being harassed, ill-treated, subjected to vengeance and political reprisal in jails. Besides, no proper medical facility is provided to the ailing inmates, he added.
The veteran leader while hailing the efforts of the team stressed more efforts in this direction. “Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and the detainees are to be treated as political prisoners as per guidelines laid down by the international community,” he told the visiting team according to a statement released by his office.
In Kotbalwal and Amphalla jails in Jammu, he added, the condition is awful and prisoners are maltreated and terrorized by the jail staff.
“Under the influence of communal feelings and sentiments the staff never bothered to treat the prisoners as per the jail manual,” he said adding the detainees were provided substandard food and subjected to solitary confinement
“The condition of prisoners in jails in Jammu and outside is more pathetic. The prisoners are subjected to worst kind of suppression. The prisoners are being beaten, kept in isolated cells, provided sub standard food and not given medical treatment. Even the tall claims by director general (DG) prisons to provide better facilities to prisoners proved a hoax,” he said.
Syed Ali Gilani urged the ICRC to take notice of the inhuman treatment being meted out to the prisoners. He appealed the human rights group to keep on regularly visiting the jails.
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