UN Experts Warn of Severe Rights Abuses in India’s Response to Kashmir Terror Attack

While condemning the “brutal terrorist attack,” the UN experts stressed that counter-terrorism responses must comply with international human rights law.

United Nations human rights experts have raised urgent concerns about widespread and serious violations committed by Indian authorities following the 22 April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-Administered Kashmir. The attack, which killed 54 people in a popular tourist area, prompted a sweeping security crackdown across the region that UN experts say has resulted in arbitrary arrests, torture, collective punishment, extreme censorship, and discriminatory targeting of Kashmiri and Muslim communities.

While condemning the “brutal terrorist attack,” the UN experts stressed that counter-terrorism responses must comply with international human rights law. They warned that India’s measures risk deepening grievances, escalating tensions, and fuelling further violence.

Broad Crackdown and Mass Arrests After the Attack

Following the attack, Indian security forces launched extensive operations across Jammu and Kashmir, arresting around 2,800 people, including:

• journalists,

• human rights defenders,

• political activists,

• students, and

• community leaders.

Many detainees were held under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)—laws long criticized by UN bodies for permitting prolonged detention without charge, lacking clear definitions of terrorism, and enabling abuse.

Detainees were allegedly:

• tortured,

• held incommunicado,

• denied access to family and legal counsel, and

• subjected to coercive interrogations.

UN experts condemned reports of suspicious deaths in custody, lynchings, and discriminatory treatment of Kashmiri and Muslim individuals, warning that such actions violate India’s constitutional and international obligations.

Collective Punishment Through Demolitions and Forced Evictions

The experts expressed grave alarm over punitive home demolitions and forced evictions, describing them as collective punishment targeting families of individuals accused of supporting militants.

These demolitions occurred without court orders, violating the due process guarantees affirmed by India’s 2024 Supreme Court ruling, which declared such actions unconstitutional and incompatible with the rights to life, dignity, property, and protection from arbitrary displacement.

Despite this, demolition campaigns reportedly escalated, with homes, shops, and community structures razed across parts of Kashmir and other Indian states.

Severe Restrictions on Press Freedom and Communication

Authorities also imposed mobile internet shutdowns, blocked more than 8,000 social media accounts, and censored journalists—actions the UN experts described as disproportionate and unlawful restrictions on:

• freedom of expression,

• freedom of association, and

• peaceful assembly.

Media outlets reported harassment and threats, while independent journalists faced pressure to delete content or cease reporting on abuses.

Communication blackouts have long been a recurring issue in Kashmir, with UN experts repeatedly warning that shutdowns obstruct humanitarian access, restrict transparency, and silence communities facing violations.

Harassment of Kashmiri Students and Rising Anti-Muslim Hate Speech

The UN experts noted that the crackdown extended far beyond the Kashmir region.

• Kashmiri students across India were subjected to surveillance, following government directives for universities to compile lists of their personal data.

• Hate speech and incitement to violence surged against Muslims, fuelled by rhetoric from political figures within the ruling party.

• Demolition drives in Gujarat and Assam led to the destruction of thousands of homes, businesses, and mosques, echoing patterns documented across India in recent years.

These campaigns disproportionately targeted low-income Muslim communities and displaced families without legal safeguards.

Expulsion of Rohingya and Muslim Refugees

UN experts also raised alarm over the expulsion of nearly 1,900 Muslims and Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar—often without due process.

Such expulsions violate the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face:

• persecution,

• torture,

• arbitrary detention, or

• threats to life and safety.

The experts warned that Myanmar remains unsafe for Rohingya refugees, many of whom fled genocidal violence.

Long-Standing Pattern of Abuses in Jammu and Kashmir

The experts highlighted that these events fit into a persistent pattern of violations in Indian-Administered Kashmir. High-profile human rights defenders—including Khurram Parvez and Irfan Mehraj—remain jailed under broad anti-terror laws, despite repeated international calls for their release.

“We urge the immediate unconditional release of all individuals arbitrarily detained in Jammu and Kashmir,” the experts said.

Call for Legal Reforms and Independent Investigations

The UN experts urged India to:

• reform its counter-terrorism laws to align with human rights standards,

• end practices enabling arbitrary detention and collective punishment,

• ensure independent investigations into alleged abuses, and

• hold perpetrators accountable through prosecutions.

They warned that “excessive counter-terrorism measures” undermine human dignity, threaten constitutional rights, and can escalate rather than reduce violence.

Appeal for Peaceful Resolution of the Kashmir Conflict

Concluding their statement, the experts urged both India and Pakistan to pursue peaceful dialogue and a durable resolution to the long-standing conflict over Jammu and Kashmir.

“The conflict has fuelled decades of human rights violations and a destructive cycle of cross-border violence,” they said. “Only peaceful settlement, grounded in international law, can ensure justice and security for all.”