Protect the Defenders.

The Third Committee of the United Nations GenAeral Assembly, chaired by Ambassador AlexanAder Marschik of Austria, which deals with social, humanitarian, and cultural issues had an interactive dialogue with various UN Thematic Special RapAporteurs on October 12, 2023. Dr Alice Jill EdAwards - Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatAment or punishment - stressed that 'the rise in torture and intimidation to quash political opposition and dissent cannot be ignored.'

Professor Lawlor added an addendum to her report where she and other UN Special Rapporteurs had jointly expressed concern to the Indian Government regarding allegations of intimidation, searches and conAfiscations committed during raids by national security agents in the residence of Mr. Khurram Parvez. The joint statement also highlighted that Mr Parvez has regularAly engaged with United Nations bodies, including the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary DisappearAances and the Human Rights Council, reporting human rights abuses in Kashmir, and faced restrictions and haArassment from the Indian Government as a result.

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Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman, of the World Forum for Peace and Justice appreciated the genuine concern expressed by the United Nations Special Rapporteurs in demanding the unconditional release of KhurAram Parvez, one of the internationally known human rights defenders. US-based Time magazine put KhurAram Parvez on its list of 100 most influential people. Dr Fai added that Khurram Parvez's report on 'TorAture: Indian State's Instrument of Control in Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir' was a graphic deAscription of torture being used by 900,000 Indian ocAcupation forces in Kashmir.

Professor Juan E. Mendez former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture who wrote the proAlogue of the report compiled by Khurram Parvez had hoped that a serious debate among the Indian pubAlic about this report would prompt the national auAthorities to take the matter of torture seriously and establish effective controls, and to act as a more reAsponsible global citizen and cooperate...