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NAPM stands in solidarity against state repression of activists, lawyers and progressive persons

NAPM stands in solidarity against state repression of activists, lawyers and progressive persons

By National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)

Release all political prisoners, including Sudha Bharadwaj who has been imprisoned for 2 years!
Arrest the real criminals of ‘Bhima Koregaon’!
Repeal the UAPA Law!

28th August 2020: In India’s dark history of human rights violations, 28th August 2018 has become a very important day. On this day, Sudha Bharadwaj was arrested by Pune police from her home in Faridabad. On the same day, Gautam Navlakha from Delhi, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves from Mumbai and Varavara Rao from Hyderabad were also arrested. Although Gautam Navlakha was granted relief from arrest for a while by the Delhi High Court, he was also arrested a few months ago. In the ‘Bhima Koregaon case’, baseless and false facts have been used to fabricate a criminal case. …

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Sudha Bharadwaj developed heart ailment triggered by stress in jail

Sudha Bharadwaj developed heart ailment triggered by stress in jail

The Indian Express / by Gargi Verma

Sudha Bharadwaj, one of the activists arrested and incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case, has developed a heart ailment, “clearly triggered by the stress” she is facing in jail, as she “never had any heart-related complaints before she was taken in custody” in October 2018, according to daughter Mayesha Bharadwaj.
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Sudha Bharadwaj developed heart ailment triggered by stress in jail, says family

27/08/2020

Sroll.in / by Scroll Staff

They have demanded ‘for an early, decisive hearing’ for her release and have also asked for full access to her medical history in prison.
The activist’s daughter, Maaysha Bharadwaj, cited a medical report from the jail dated July 23 in which it has been stated that her mother is suffering from “Ischemic Heart Disease, a heart problem caused by narrowing of arteries that causes reduced blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to heart attack”. She added that her mother never had any heart-related complaints before she was jailed.
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NIA Summons Three Lawyers for Questioning

NIA Summons Three Lawyers for Questioning


Campaign poster, June 2020

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

Among those summoned are Nihalsing Rathod, the defence lawyer for some of the accused in the case, and Viplav Teltumbde.
Mumbai: After questioning several academics and activists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has now issued summons to three lawyers in the Elgar Parishad case. Among the three lawyers summoned to appear before the agency’s Mumbai office on August 28 are Nihalsing Rathod, Viplav Teltumbde and a Nagpur-based lawyer.
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Human rights organisation calls for immediate release of Sudha Bharadwaj on second anniversary of her arrest

Human rights organisation calls for immediate release of Sudha Bharadwaj on second anniversary of her arrest

By CIVICUS

August 28 2020 marks two years since the arrest and detention of Indian activist and human rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj. Ahead of this second anniversary, global civil society organisation CIVICUS calls on the Indian government to immediately release Bharadwaj and drop all charges against her:
– CIVICUS urges authorities to drop baseless charges against Sudha Bharadwaj
– There are concerns for Bharadwaj’s health in prison during COVID-19 pandemic
– Bharadwaj is featured in international campaign #StandAsMyWitness calling for release of human rights defenders
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An Irish Poet Sends the Fragrance of Invisible Flowers to Varavara Rao

An Irish Poet Sends the Fragrance of Invisible Flowers to Varavara Rao


Stills from Masood Hussain’s poetry film, ‘Flowers for Varavara Rao’. Photo: Masood Hussain

The Wire / by Gabriel Rosenstock

Recently, Dublin-based poet Gabriel Rosenstock sent Srinagar-based artist Masood Hussain a poem in Irish and English, titled ‘Flowers for Varavara Rao’ – a tribute to the ailing 81-year-old poet-activist who has been imprisoned since 2018, arrested in the Elgar Parishad case.
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Flowers for Varavara Rao

en, irish | 2:44 min | 2020
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Friends & family of Sudha Bharadwaj raise serious health concerns and seek her release

Friends & family of Sudha Bharadwaj raise serious health concerns and seek her release

Solidarity programs with Sudha Bharadwaj (click to enlarge)

Countercurrents / by friends and family of Sudha Bharadwaj

Keeping under trials in prison for two years deliberately stalling bail opportunities, with no effort for beginning the trial instead exposing them to serious health condition is a gross violation of rights of prisoners. This is further heightened in times of a global pandemic given the crowded situation in prisons…
Friends and family members of Sudha Bharadwaj gathered online Sunday to share series of serious concern over Sudha Bharadwaj’s health condition.
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Surendra Gadling – Arrested for defending Dalits and Adivasis

Surendra Gadling – Arrested for defending Dalits and Adivasis

The Polis Project / By The Polis Project and maraa

Surendra Gadling began his career almost two decades ago in Nagpur, fighting cases for those arrested under the draconian Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) 1985, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967. He also worked as a special public prosecutor on dowry-related cases and was one of the leading lawyers in connection with the Khairlanji agitation—a protest movement launched after the gruesome caste-murders of a Dalit family in Maharashtra.
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Movement Lawyering As A Tool To Articulate Feminist Values And Goals

Movement Lawyering As A Tool To Articulate Feminist Values And Goals

Click to enlarge posters above

Feminism India / By One Future Collective

As the world witnesses agitation from various minority communities, using existing formal legal processes to bolster their movements has been a major challenge. As a concept, movement lawyering is akin to the tool of public or social interest litigation in India. It envisions a close and harmonious relationship between the legal and activist circles who bring their individual expertise to fulfill a common objective – justice. India has been witness to the works of several noteworthy lawyers but some of their practice is an embodiment of movement lawyering.
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What We Can Learn from Varavara Rao’s Prison Diary

What We Can Learn from Varavara Rao’s Prison Diary

News Click / by Shoili Kanungo

When all relations are defined by oppression and subjugation, and human relationships vanish, the oppressor fears the future.
… Captive Imagination is Varavara Rao´s prison journal from the 1980´s. It is a manual of life infused with love, longing, and the power of dreams and imagination – which he says are the limbs that support every prisoner and cannot be taken away.
Read and see