The United Nations and other international rights organizations have denounced the arrest of a Srinagar-based leading Kashmiri human rights defender, Khurram Parvez and demanded his immediate release.

Khurram Parvez was arrested on 22nd of last month by India’s National Investigation Agency and booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code on fake charges.

Immediately after Khurram Parvez’s arrest, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor in her tweet expressed fears that he may be implicated in false terrorism-related cases by the Indian authorities.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in its statement, expressing concern over the arrest, called for his release.

Amnesty International, in a tweet, said that the arrest of Khurram Parvez is yet another example of how anti-terror laws are being misused to criminalize human rights work and stifle dissent in India.