A protest rally was held in Indian-occupied Kashmir to demand the release of Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria. RNA – In an exclusive discussion with Rasa News Agency, Saif Ali Budgami stated that a “Free Zakzaky” protest rally was held in the Hanjewera area of Baramullah in Indian-occupied Kashmir on July 22nd.
The rally was peacefully carried out along the Baramullah National Highway between Hanjewera and the Reshipora Patan area in Baramullah District.
The rally was organized by the Hanjewera division of the Nasl-e-Inqilab Kashmir, a voluntary student-based social organization. Hundreds of youth from around the region participated in the rally.
The Free Zakzaky rally was held in support of the world-renowned Muslim cleric and the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky, who was jailed on December 12, 2015 along with his wife. On that day, the Nigerian army massacred 347 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, including three of the sons of Shaykh Zakzaky during a rally marking International al-Quds Day in support of the Palestinian people.
Shaykh Zakzaky has been under illegal detention for the past fours years and witnesses say that he is in critical condition due to the injuries inflicted upon him in the 2015 attack by the Nigerian army.
The cleric’s son, Muhammad, said that his father was in dire need of medical treatment and hadn’t received treatment in prison. If he isn’t treated, he could die as “large and dangerous quantities of lead and cadmium have been found in his blood.” Therefore, the protestors are demanding release of Shaykh Zakzaky as soon as possible.
Irfan Husayn, one of the participants in the rally, said, “We have gathered here to demand the immediate release of the Shaykh, for he needs quality medical treatment to treat his injuries. Thus we call on the Nigerian embassy in New Delhi to order the Nigerian government to release Shaykh Zakzaky without any condition.”
The protestors carried placards with various slogans as “Free Zakzaky,” “Down with the Nigerian government” and “Down with the Nigerian Army.”
Wajid Husayn, the leader of the protest rally, said, “We have peacefully assembled here to demand justice for Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky, who was detained four years ago and now spending the last moments of living under detention. It’s a great shame for international human rights organizations, such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Human Rights Council and Amnesty International that they haven’t done anything to deliver justice to Shaykh Ibrahim Zakzaky.”
Rasa News Agency
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