United Nations human rights experts have expressed deep concern over what they describe as severe rights violations committed by Indian authorities during large-scale counterterrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The crackdown followed the 22 April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
The experts said they “unequivocally condemn the brutal terrorist attack on a tourist area” and extended condolences to the victims and the Government of India. They stressed, however, that counterterrorism measures must remain consistent with international human rights law.
In the weeks after the attack, Indian security forces arrested about 2,800 people across the region, including journalists and human rights defenders. Many were detained under the Public Safety Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, legislation that permits extended detention without charge and contains broad definitions of terrorism. Several detainees were reportedly tortured, denied access to lawyers and family members, or held incommunicado.
The experts condemned reports of arbitrary detention, torture, custodial deaths, lynchings, and discrimination against Kashmiri and Muslim communities. They also cited accounts of punitive home demolitions, forced evictions and arbitrary displacement targeting families of alleged militants.
These actions, they said, violate the 2024 ruling of India’s Supreme Court, which found such demolitions unconstitutional and in breach of the rights to life, dignity, and protection against arbitrary displacement.
The experts raised further alarm over restrictions on free expression, including communication shutdowns, suspensions of mobile internet service, and the blocking of about 8,000 social media accounts, among them outlets run by journalists. They described these steps as disproportionate interference with the freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
The impact of India’s response extended beyond Jammu and Kashmir. University students from Kashmir were reportedly subjected to surveillance and harassment after government directives ordered the collection of their personal data. Hate speech and incitement to violence against Muslims rose sharply, fuelled by some political leaders. Demolitions were reported in Gujarat and Assam, where thousands of Muslim homes, mosque,s and businesses were destroyed.
Nearly 1,900 Muslims and Rohingya refugees were also expelled to Bangladesh and Myanmar without due process. The experts said such expulsions violate the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they face persecution, torture, or other grave harms.
They noted the long-standing pattern of rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
They called for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights defenders, including Irfan Mehraj and Khurram Parvez, who have been detained for years under broad security laws.
The experts urged India to align its counterterrorism framework with international human rights standards and to conduct independent investigations into all alleged violations. They warned that excessive measures “not only violate human dignity, the Indian Constitution and international law, but fuel social division and grievances that may trigger further violence.”
They also called on both India and Pakistan to work toward a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute, which has long driven cycles of abuses and cross-border instability.
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