Srinagar: Official figures released by India's Ministry of Home Affairs have revealed that Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is the most affected region under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), exposing the law's widespread misuse as a tool of repression rather than justice.Between 2019 and 2023 a total of 3,662 people were arrested under UAPA in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, while only 23 individuals-just 0.62 percent-were convicted. In 2023 alone, 1,206 Kashmiris were booked under the draconian law, but only 10 convictions were recorded, reflecting a conviction rate of merely 0.8 percent.Since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in August 2019 and its downgrade to a Union Territory, UAPA arrests have surged sharply. Arrests rose from 227 in 2019 to 346 in 2020, 645 in 2021, and 1,238 in 2022, before slightly declining to 1,206 in 2023. Convictions, however, remained negligible, with zero convictions recorded in 2019 and 2021, two in 2020, 11 in 2022, and 1 0 in 2023.Legal experts say the actual number of detainees under UAPA is far higher than officially stated, arguing that arrest itself has become the punishment, with prolonged detention imposed without credible evidence or timely trials.Analysts note that in IIOJK, UAPA is routinely used alongside other black laws, including the Public Safety Act, to silence political dissent. Since August 2019, thousands of Kashmiris-including leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, activists, journalists, and youth-have been detained. Many were released after spending years in jail without charges, while others continue to languish behind bars.Human rights defenders say the abysmally low conviction rate exposes the collapse of the rule of law and confirms that Indian authorities are prioritizing suppression of dissent, particularly in Kashmir, over any genuine pursuit of justice.The pattern extends across India under the Modi regime. Nationwide data shows that between 2019 and 2023, 5,690 people were arrest ed under UAPA across 28 states, but only 288-around five percent-were convicted. In 2023, of the 1,686 people arrested nationwide, convictions stood at just 84, or 4.98 percent.Punjab presents another stark example of alleged misuse. From 2019 to 2023, 259 people were arrested under UAPA in the state, yet not a single conviction has been recorded. In 2023, Punjab ranked fifth nationwide with 50 arrests but again registered zero convictions.Uttar Pradesh topped the list in 2023 with 1,122 arrests, but secured only 75 convictions, a conviction rate of 6.68 percent. Assam, Manipur, and Meghalaya followed with 154, 130, and 71 arrests respectively, but except for one conviction in Assam, these states recorded no convictions under the law.