The leader of Kashmir convicted of terrorism by an Indian court.
On Thursday, an Indian court convicted top Kashmiri leader Mohammed Yasin Malik in a terrorism-related case carrying a maximum sentence of execution or life imprisonment.
Malik was charged with ‘terrorist actions,’ unlawful fundraising, membership in a ‘terrorist’ organization, criminal conspiracy, and sedition.
Judge Praveen Singh has scheduled a hearing on sentence arguments from both sides for May 25, according to source. Malik was also ordered by the judge to give an affidavit about his financial assets.
Throughout the trial, Malik opposed the charges, claiming to be a freedom fighter.
“Terrorism-related charges levelled against me are manufactured, contrived, and politically motivated,” his organization, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front was among the first armed independence fighters to emerge in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK). It was in favor of an independent and united Kashmir. The gang, led by Malik, ceased armed resistance in 1994.
In 1989, a resistance movement erupted in IoK, with combatants demanding an autonomous Kashmir or a union with Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training rebel groups to combat Indian forces, which Pakistan strongly rejects. Islamabad claims to merely provide moral and diplomatic support to militants.
