International experts and human rights advocates have denounced India’s systematic use of enforced disappearances in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a crime against humanity.

According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking at a seminar organized by the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, they expressed grave concern over the issue, citing nearly 10,000 cases of individuals reported missing in custody of Indian forces since 1989. The event was moderated Altaf Hussain Wani.

The seminar, held on the sidelines of the 57th session of the UNHRC, was attended by diplomats, human rights defenders, and members of international civil society. Speakers included Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Dr. Sajjad Latif, Mary Scully, and Syed Muhammad Ali.

The speakers emphasized that enforced disappearances have devastated thousands of Kashmiri families, leaving them in anguish and uncertainty. They lamented that the Indian government has failed to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, despite international calls for accountability.

The participants demanded that the international community take notice of the issue and hold India accountable for its human rights abuses. They also called for an independent inquiry into the cases of enforced disappearances and unmarked mass graves in Kashmir.

The seminar highlighted the plight of halfwidows and halfwives, women whose husbands have been subjected to enforced disappearances, leaving them trapped in a limbo of grief and social stigma. The speakers condemned India’s continued neglect and refusal to address these critical issues.