Altaf Ahmad Shah, a distinguished pro-freedom chief from Indian-administered Kashmir, has died in custody combating renal most cancers, his household mentioned.
Shah, 66, was being held within the high-security Tihar jail within the Indian capital New Delhi for the previous 5 years. He died early on Tuesday whereas present process therapy at a state-run medical school within the metropolis.
His household had, previously, made a number of appeals for launch on bail or entry to raised medical take care of Shah, who additionally suffered from hypertension and diabetes for years, placing him in a high-risk class throughout India’s coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
“At 10:30pm [Monday], he handed away within the hospital. They didn’t allow us to see him when he was speaking. When he stopped speaking, they allowed us,” one in all Shah’s relations advised Al Jazeera.
The household mentioned Shah was moved to New Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on September 24 after a protracted sickness in jail. Per week later, he was recognized with superior renal most cancers.
His daughter, journalist Ruwa Shah, took to Twitter to spotlight her father’s deteriorating well being and to demand higher therapy. She additionally wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Residence Minister Amit Shah, interesting for bail on well being grounds.
“My incarcerated father has been recognized of acute renal most cancers which has metastasis and has unfold to his different physique components, together with his bones. It’s my entire household’s request to please enable us to see him and take into account his bail utility on well being grounds,” Ruwa Shah mentioned in a tweet on September 30.
On October 5, Shah was moved to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences hospital within the capital the place he died.
Shah and 6 different distinguished Kashmiri pro-freedom leaders have been arrested in 2017 by India’s Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA) for alleged cash laundering.
Two years later, New Delhi unilaterally scrapped the particular standing of the disputed area and put extra Kashmiri politicians and activists behind bars.
The Himalayan territory of Kashmir is claimed by each India and Pakistan, who govern components of it. The 2 South Asian nuclear powers have fought two of their three full-scale wars over the territory.
A revolt in opposition to New Delhi’s rule in Indian-administered Kashmir started within the late Nineteen Eighties and has claimed tens of 1000’s of lives to date.
The rebels need to both merge Indian-administered Kashmir with Pakistan or create an unbiased state. Shah belonged to a bunch of non-violent separatists demanding a proper to self-determination by the residents of the area.
Shah is the third Kashmiri prisoner to die in custody within the final 4 years. Their households say the deaths in custody mirror an absence of correct medical therapy for Kashmiri prisoners held miles away from their properties, which makes it very tough for his or her households to go to them, in numerous Indian jails.
In December 2019, Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, 65, a resident of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, died in jail in Uttar Pradesh state’s Prayagraj metropolis after 5 months in custody. He had already been affected by a variety of illnesses when he was arrested.
Final 12 months, one other distinguished pro-freedom chief, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, 77, died of COVID after a 12 months in custody at a hospital in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Jammu metropolis.
Shah was the son-in-law of iconic pro-independence chief, Syed Ahmed Shah Geelani, who died final 12 months throughout his decade-long home detention.
In a condolence message on Twitter, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif mentioned he’s “deeply grieved” at Shah’s demise in Indian captivity.
“Modi regime denied him therapy regardless of realizing he was a most cancers affected person. Custodial killings are the norm in Modi’s India,” he wrote.
Deeply grieved at passing of distinguished Kashmiri chief Altaf Shah, son-in-law of Syed Ali Geelani, whereas in Indian captivity. Modi regime denied him therapy regardless of realizing he was most cancers affected person. Custodial killings are norm in Modi’s India. My condolences to the bereaved household
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 11, 2022
Since dropping its particular standing and being declared a federally-run territory in 2019, Indian-administered Kashmir, the nation’s solely Muslim-majority area has witnessed an intense crackdown in opposition to its political leaders.
The households and attorneys of these detained have warned of ill-treatment and abuse of greater than 1,000 Kashmiris saved in jails outdoors the area.
“Healthcare will not be a priority for jail authorities. They [prisoners] are being supplied the required meals and are sometimes positioned in solitary confinement,” G N Shaheen, spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir Excessive Court docket Bar Affiliation, advised Al Jazeera.
“Based on the legislation, they (authorities) have to supply fundamental requirements of life, together with healthcare with dignity in jail. Not all prisoners have but been convicted. Even throughout a trial, the detainees are dealing with well being issues that would take lives. It displays the scenario in jails.”
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