By The South Asia Times report

NEW DELHI: A Indian court on Wednesday sentenced key Kashmiri freedom leader Yasin Malik to life in prison on “fake” terror charges. 

The New Delhi special court awarded two life senteces and five punishments of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each, NDTV reported.

The court declined the government's request of the death penalty but imposed a fine of one million Indian currency.

Last week, the same court convicted Malik in a false terror funding case.

Despite Malik's repeated rejection of charges labeled by Indian authorities, the National Investigation Agency alleged him of terrorism and secessionist activities in the Kashmir Valley.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the Indian court ruling and called it a black day for the Indian justice system.

“Today is a black day for Indian democracy & its justice system. India can imprison Yasin Malik physically but it can never imprison idea of freedom he symbolises. Life imprisonment for valiant freedom fighter will provide fresh impetus to Kashmiris' right to self-determination,” Sharif tweeted. 

On Thursday, the said court also formally framed the charges against other Kashmiri freedom leaders, including Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, Md Yusuf Shah, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Md Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, and Naval Kishore Kapoor, according to The Quint. 

Analysts believed the Indian court verdict could spread anger among the Kashmiris as most Kashmiri termed the decision as based on hatred against the Muslims of Kashmir.

Kashmiri leaders include Asiya Andrabi, the founding leader of Kashmiri organization Dukhtaran-i-Millat or Daughters of Nation; Shabbir Ahmed Shah, the leader and founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, and prominent leaders such as Yasin Malik, Masarat Alam Bhat, Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie, and others, are behind the bar under draconian Indian laws in New Delhi’s infamous Tihar jail and others.

Malik’s wife Mushaal Hussein Mullick while strongly condemning  the Indian court verdict said that its unfair and judicial terrorism

“Court verdict in minutes by Indian kangaroo courts. Yasin Malik is the bravest man to challenge the Hitler Modi of this Era !!! We r all Yasin Malik #ReleaseYasinMalik Pray for the Lion of Kashmiris ! The iconic leader will never surrender,” she tweeted. 

The videos broadcasted by Indian TV channels show that a heavy contingent of police surrounded Malik while coming out of the courtroom, he wanted to speak with the media outside but the police didn’t allow him.

On Wednesday, the Pakistan Senate and National Assembly also passed unanimous resolutions and condemned the Indian government and its courts for convicting and sentencing Yasin Malik in fake cases.