SRINAGAR: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to release two children held under the Public Safety Act.
It has further asked the authorities to ensure that the practice of what it said was unlawful detention of children in the state is put to an end.
“Asif Mujeed Shaksaz, aged 15 and Sajad Ahmad Mir, 16, both of Srinagar, were arrested on grounds of ‘stone-pelting’ and “disruption of peace’ on 25 March and 8 March respectively. They have been detained under the PSA,” Amnesty International India’s Director of Programmes, Shashikumar Velath said in a mailed statement.
“The J&K authorities must end the detention without charge of these two children. If they are charged for any offences, they must be tried in accordance with the rules of juvenile justice.”
The Public Safety Act or PSA provides for detention without trial for at least six months.
The AI has also launched a campaign against the law. The Campaign “Pick up your pen” wants the chief minister Omar Abdullah to order the repeal PSA.
“Instead of repealing the PSA and ending the entire system of administrative detention, the Jammu and Kashmir authorities are continuing to detain even children without charge. Recently, we have received three reports of children being held under the PSA,” the statement said.
“The PSA violates India’s international human rights law obligations.”
The state recently amended its juvenile act and raised the age bar for minors as 18. The AI says the two detained boys are minors, contrary to authorities’ claim that they are 19 years old.
“Copies of school records of Asif Mujeed Shaksaz in Amnesty International’s possession show his birth date as 30 April 1997, making him a few weeks short of 16 years. While no records are available for Sajad Ahmad Mir – his birth was not registered and he has never been enrolled in a school – his family told Amnesty International that he is only 16 years old.”
