WASHINGTON, DC — UN Special Rapporteur Prof. Nicolas Levrat criticized India for failing to protect Muslims after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Speaking at a Congressional Briefing, Levrat said India “very obviously” failed to meet its international obligations.
The Briefing gathered human rights experts, legal scholars, and lawmakers. The focus was on increasing repression of Muslims in India and the need for global accountability.
Levrat cited Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which India has ratified. He said, “India, as a signatory, must prevent coercion against religious freedom.” He also warned that “incendiary narratives are being spread by top authorities,” which is deeply concerning.
The Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) recorded 184 hate incidents in six days after the attack. Out of these, 106 were directly linked to the Pahalgam attack. These included murder, arson, and assaults across 19 states.
The event titled “Increased Attacks on Muslims After Pahalgam” was organized by 18 global rights groups. Levrat, joining from Geneva, repeated, “There is a duty on India to prevent such coercion.” He stressed, “India is not protecting Muslims.” He said this neglect and the toxic rhetoric from leaders raise serious alarms.
He added that international bodies like the UN Human Rights Council can monitor, but India’s own legal system holds the key responsibility. “The national system must implement international treaties. Victims should seek justice in Indian courts,” he explained.
Levrat said attempts to engage India’s mission in Geneva had failed. “India is hard to work with. Diplomacy isn’t producing results,” he said.
Senior Supreme Court Advocate Prashant Bhushan blamed Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. He said they used the attack to stir anti-Muslim sentiment for elections. “They shifted focus from the actual security failure to attacking Pakistan and Muslims,” he added. Most hate crimes occurred in BJP-ruled states, Bhushan noted.
Suchitra Vijayan of The Polis Project called the anti-Muslim violence “planned, state-tolerated, and enabled.” She said leaders were calling for the arming of Hindus and replicating Israel’s actions in Palestine, not just in Kashmir but against Indian Muslims too.
Apoorvanand, Indian academic and columnist, said Muslims are not only attacked but also silenced. “They can’t express opinions. It causes fear among scholars and youth,” he said. He pointed to the recent arrest of Ali Khan Mahmudabad for criticizing war rhetoric. “This is a dangerous trend,” he warned.
The briefing was co-sponsored by: Indian American Muslim Council, Genocide Watch, World Without Genocide, Hindus for Human Rights, New York State Council of Churches, The Polis Project, The Religious Nationalisms Project, Muslim Public Affairs Council, American Muslim Institution, The London Story, Association of Indian Muslims of America, India Labour Solidarity, South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (Canada), CAIR, 12 Ummah, NRI Affairs, The Humanism Project, and Center for Pluralism.
