India’s supreme court has ordered the government to review all restrictions in Indian-controlled Kashmir within a week, saying the indefinite suspension of people’s rights amounted to an abuse of power.
Last August, Modi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and split the state into two territories under the direct control of Delhi. The move was followed by a series of draconian measures including curfews, the detention of political leaders and the cutting off of all communications including phones and the internet.
The government has gradually restored landlines, and SMS services were restored on 31 December, but 7 million Kashmiris still do not have online access in the longest internet shutdown ever imposed in a democracy.
The government has repeatedly justified the continued internet suspension as necessary for preserving human life and preventing terrorism. In its justification, it said no one had died.
The court said any suspension of the internet, which it called intrinsic to free speech, must be accompanied by detailed reasons to allow aggrieved persons to challenge it in court.
The ruling came in response to petitions filed by Anuradha Bhasin, the executive editor of the Kashmir Times, the opposition Congress party leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and others.
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