Irfan Mehraj is a human rights defender and journalist based in Srinagar, Kashmir. He is the founding editor of the online Wande Magazine and also contributes towards editorial work of the media outlet TwoCircles.net. He wrote extensively about issues of human rights violations in Kashmir including fake encounter killings, attacks on Kashmiri Pandits, and the situation in Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. He also contributed to prominent national and international media houses such as The Indian Express, Al Jazeera, Himal Southasian, and Deutsche Welle. Irfan Mehrasj previously worked with JKCCS as a researcher in 2016.
Human rights defenders in India face a diverse range of attacks and harassment from state and non-state actors alike, including killing, physical assault, arbitrary detention, threats and judicial harassment. Police officials are often the perpetrators of violence against HRDs, which is usually carried out with impunity. Armed groups and private companies also target HRDs for work related to economic development projects and their impact on the local communities or the environment. HRDs are increasingly the targets of online smear campaigns by radical nationalists.
