Prominent Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj have been released on bail from a New Delhi prison after years of arbitrary detention under India`s anti-terrorism laws, according to reports confirmed by Al Jazeera, AFP, and AP. The two men walked free late on Wednesday following a ruling by a New Delhi court, despite efforts by India`s National Investigation Agency to overturn their release. Rights groups have described their prolonged imprisonment as part of a systematic crackdown by New Delhi on activists, journalists, and civil society voices in Indian-administered Kashmir following the revocation of the region`s constitutional autonomy in 2019.
Parvez, who serves as the program coordinator for the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, was arrested at his home in Srinagar in November 2021. Mehraj, a freelance journalist and researcher associated with the same organization, was taken into custody in March 2023. Both men were charged under India`s Unlawful Activities Prevention Act on allegations of terror funding and propagating a secessionist agenda through non-governmental organizations. Both Parvez and Mehraj have consistently denied all charges, maintaining that their work was strictly confined to documenting human rights violations and advocating for victims of custodial violence.
The legal breakthrough occurred on July 18, 2026, when Principal District and Sessions Judge Pitamber Dutt at Delhi`s Patiala House Court granted regular bail to both men. The judge observed that the prosecution`s case rested heavily on oral witness statements whose credibility remained to be tested during a trial that had not even commenced after several years. Citing the extraordinary delay in legal proceedings and Parvez`s physical disability, the court ordered their release on a personal bond of 200,000 rupees each.
However, the National Investigation Agency swiftly appealed the order to the Delhi High Court, seeking an immediate stay on their release. A division bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan declined to suspend the bail order on July 22, allowing the men to walk free, but imposed significantly tighter conditions. Under the revised terms, Parvez and Mehraj are forbidden from leaving the National Capital Territory of Delhi without court permission, effectively preventing them from returning home to Kashmir, located nearly 800 kilometers away. Additionally, they must report in person to the chief investigating officer twice every week.
International human rights organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organisation Against Torture, welcomed the release while condemning the years spent in pre-trial detention. According to statement figures, Parvez spent 1,703 days in custody, while Mehraj spent 1,219 days without trial. Parvez, a recipient of the 2023 Martin Ennals Award for human rights defenders, has long documented enforced disappearances and mass graves in the disputed region.
What remains unclear is how the Delhi High Court will rule on the NIA`s ongoing appeal in the coming weeks and whether the prosecution will succeed in canceling their bail. For now, while the two men have regained their physical freedom, the strict residential restrictions in Delhi keep them geographically separated from their families and ongoing work in Srinagar. The case continues to highlight global concerns over press freedom and judicial independence in the region.
