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Month: July 2019

Lok Sabha passes Bill in boost to anti-terror laws

Lok Sabha passes Bill in boost to anti-terror laws

Live Mint / by Shaswati Das

The Bill empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on certain grounds
It also paves the way for the National Investigation Agency to seize property as part of investigations into terror cases
New Delhi: Just a week after the both Houses of Parliament passed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) bill, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill 2019, in a move that gives a big push to India’s internal security machinery.
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Speak against Modi govt’s revenge on activists before there is no one left to speak for us

Speak against Modi govt’s revenge on activists before there is no one left to speak for us

The Print / by Shashi Tharoor

Human rights defenders keep the flame of our Constitution alive. Right now, it is flickering, writes Shashi Tharoor.
The Lok Sabha has debated and passed the Protection of Human Rights Amendment Bill 2019 last week, which the Narendra Modi government claims will strengthen the human rights in our country. Sadly, as I pointed out in the Lok Sabha, it falls considerably short of this objective – and this may be by design.
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Will it take 2300 days before the arrestees receive copies of the evidence against them?

Will it take 2300 days before the arrestees receive copies of the evidence against them?

The Leaflet / by Nihalsing B Rathod

Arrested over a year ago, activists still await a bail hearing
The Bhima Koregaon case is perhaps one of the most discussed cases in which every known violation of the law and procedure by the prosecution has been deployed to deny justice to the arrested activists.
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Every 10th Adivasi of Jharkhand’s Pathalgadi area have been charged with sedition

Every 10th Adivasi of Jharkhand’s Pathalgadi area have been charged with sedition

Sabrang / by Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha‏

Representatives of several people’s organisations from across Jharkhand gathered today at Raj Bhawan to protest against the severe violations of Constitutional rights of Adivasis of Khunti district and the use of the sedition law as an instrument of repression. The dharna was organised by Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, a network of activists and people’s organisations.
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RSS circulates booklet targeting ‘Urban Naxals’

RSS circulates booklet targeting ‘Urban Naxals’

Sabrangindia.in / by Deborah Grey

A common characteristic of right wing supremacists in India appears to be their extremely limited and rather vapid imagination. This is best illustrated in a booklet published by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The booklet is an out and out smear campaign against some of India’s most respected intellectuals and human rights activists. However this sinister agenda is driven by a rather banal set of stories.
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Of 230 Required Copies of Evidence, Only 4 Made in 2 Months

Of 230 Required Copies of Evidence, Only 4 Made in 2 Months

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

The defence is alleging that this is the police’s latest tactic to delay the bail hearings and ensure that the rights activists stay in jail.
Mumbai: Over a year since the nine arrested lawyers and activists in the Bhima Koregaon case filed for bail, and after 60-odd hearings on their applications, the court has now stalled the hearings for an indefinite time. The proceedings will resume only after the prosecution hands over electronic evidence, which they have been relying on all along, to the accused persons.
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Video: NIA (Amendment) Bill Sets a Dangerous Precedent

Video: NIA (Amendment) Bill Sets a Dangerous Precedent


en | 16 min | 2019

Newsclick / By Newsclick

On 18th of July the Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the NIA Bill. The bill proposes three major amendments to the NIA Bill of 2008, giving the agency enormous powers. Gautam Navlakha discusses with Newsclick the BJP’s national security push and the implications of the amendment.
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Magistrate seeks state, cop’s response on default bail plea of 9 accused

Magistrate seeks state, cop’s response on default bail plea of 9 accused

The Times of India / By TNN

Pune: Judicial magistrate first class P S Jondhale on Thursday directed the Pune police and the state prosecution to furnish written submissions by July 22 on a default bail plea filed by Sudhir Dhawale and eight other accused in the Elgar Parishad case.
The accused have sought default bail on the grounds that the offence had not been taken cognizance of by a “competent” court even after 180 days of their arrests and the police ought to have filed the chargesheets before the JMFC court instead of the sessions court, which is handling cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPa).
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Central Government Claims On New UAPA Bill Misleading

Central Government Claims On New UAPA Bill Misleading

Amnesty International India / by Amnesty International India

The Central government’s claim in the Lok Sabha that the proposed amendments to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) complies with international standards is false. The proposed amendments will allow the government to designate an individual as a terrorist. This amendment violates international human rights law and opens the floodgate to harassment of human rights defenders and activists, said Amnesty International India.
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