New delhi: Prominent Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj have been released from prison after an Indian court granted them bail in a 'terror funding' case. Parvez, 49, and Mehraj, 31, were implicated in a case filed in 2020 by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The agency accused them of financing militant activities through the human rights group Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), allegations both deny.

According to Anadolu Agency, Parvez, who serves as a program coordinator at JKCCS, was arrested in 2021 and spent 1,703 days in custody. Mehraj, detained in 2023, spent 1,219 days in prison. A relative of Parvez mentioned that although he has been released, he is not allowed to travel outside New Delhi, where he was held. The court has ordered him to remain in the capital, as confirmed by the relative who chose to remain anonymous.

Parvez and Mehraj were released from a New Delhi prison late Wednesday after the Delhi High Court refused to stay the bail order, despite an appeal by the NIA. The court, however, has imposed additional restrictions while it considers the agency's appeal. In response, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) issued a joint statement welcoming their release. They emphasized that the release followed years of "arbitrary detention" and urged Indian authorities to drop all charges, describing the proceedings as "politically motivated" and aimed at discrediting their work.