Asian Federation
Against
Involuntary
Disappearances
Rms.
310-311
Philippine
Social Science Center
Building
CommonwealthAvenue,
Dilimarl
1103
Quezon
Clty
PhilippinesTelefa*
{[16324546759
Telephone
Number
0G632-92745!t4
Mobile
W63-9177924t58Emailafad@sUffrhSp.nelphwebsite
www.afad-online.oqg
November
26,11
Bangkok,
Thailand
TheChairperson
and
Members
United
Nations
Working
Group
on Enforced or
Involuntary
DisappearancesGeneva,
Switzerland
Subiect
Issue
of
denial
of
Riglrt
to
Travel
to
theHumanrigfrts
defender AdvocateParvezImroz
ofJammu
&Kashmir.
Esteemed
Chairperson
and
Members of the
UNWGEID,
We,
Council
members
of
the
Asian
Federation
Against
Involuntary
Disappearances
(AFAD),
would
liketo
bring
to
the
attention
of
the
UN
WGEID
the
continuousdenial
of
traveldocumenb
of Mr.
Parvez
Imroz,
AFAD
Council
mernber representing
the
Association
of
Parents
of
Disappeared
Persons
(APDP)
in
Kashmir,
India.
As
you
are
fully
aware, the
AFAD
has
been
continuously
campaigning
against
the
phenomenon
of
enforceddisappearances
in whole
Asia.
hrthecourse
of our
work
fortruth,
justicg
reparation,
redress
and
memoy,
our
member-organizationsare actively
engaged
to
participate
in
conferences,
workshops
and meetings
organized
in
different
countries.
Unfortunately,
our Council Member
from
Kashmir,
India
Mr.
Parvez
Introz,
a
human
rightslawyer
andlegal
advisorof
Association
of
Parents
of
Disappeared
Persons
(APDP)
has
not
been
able
toparticipate
in
our activities
because
of the
continuousdenial
of
travel
documents
since
2004.
After
expiry
of
his
passport
in
2004,
Mr.
Imroz
apptied
for
a
new
one.
But
till
date, the
passporthas
not
beenissued
without
any
explanation.
[:t
2006,
he
was
awarded
the
prestigious
Ludovic
Trarieux
Award
and
the
organizers,
including
the
human
rights
defenders appealed
to
the
Indian
state
to
issue
him
the
traveldocuments
so
he
could
receive
the
award,
but
the
appeal
was
rejected.
Our
CouncilMember was
invited
to
presentthehuman
riglrts
situation
particularly
on disappearances
in
Kashmir
atmany intemational
fora
but
due
todenialof
travel
documents, he
could
not
participate.
In
2ffi,
Mr. Imroz
launched
a
campaign
for
passport
titled
as,
"Campaign
for
Right
to
Travel,
'
but
therewas
no
response
from
the
governmentof India.
The
denial
of
travel
documents
is
used
asa
matter
of
policy
toprevent
and
control
thevoices
of
defenders
from
Kashmir.
Our
Council Member has
been
deprived
of this
universally
recognized
right
to
freedom
of
movement,
which
is
guaranteed
under
Article
13
of
the
Universal
Declaration
on Human
Rights
and
Article
12
of
hrternational
Covenant
of
Civil
and Political Rights
(ICCPR).
Article
12
of
the
ICCP&which
hrdia
signed
and
ratified in
L979,
gtaranters
that
everyonehasthe
right
to
leave
the
country including hisown
andthis
right
shouldnot
be
restricted. Further,Art.24, Par.7
ofthehrternationalConvention
for
the
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