Over a hundred and fifty people from all over India, and a few Indians abroad too, participated in an online event organised by Lok Raj Sangathan on the pressing issue of the draconian UAPA.
It began with a presentation explaining the history of the UAPA and other similar laws like TADA and POTA. It showed how authoritarian laws were made more repressive over the years; explained the provisions in the UAPA at present which render it totally brutal and violative of basic human rights. Read more
Webinar: Human Rights Defenders in India: Stories from the Trenches
We mourn the institutional murder of Father Stan Swamy that has fully exposed to the world the machinations of Indian state agencies and a compromised judiciary.
Dear friends,
As a growing number of human rights defenders are being incarcerated using charges of sedition, terrorism and anti-national activities, other in the movements and causes they have stood for and struggled with through constitutional means, now, in turn, are fighting for their release. It is clear the state is determined to silence these activists by any means necessary, framing them in false cases and denying them bail repeatedly.
– Why was Father Stan and his centre in Ranchi, Jharkhand (Bagaicha) such a threat to the state?
– How are corporations/commercial interests complicit with the state in trying to suppress the movements of such grassroots organizations and eliminate these activists?
– How does the Indian legal system enable those in power to rule by law instead of governing under a rule of law?
Through this webinar we hope to shine a light on how grassroots organizations and activists have stood up to the carceral state and its allied interests, and what support the international community can provide. …
BR Ambedkar’s granddaughter Rama Ambedkar demands release of all political prisoners
08/07/2021
Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff
‘Those involved in the Bhima Koregaon case are facing fabricated charges and being called Naxalites, but they work for the poor, just like Father Stan.’ Read more
Stan Swamy Murder Has Lit A Spark Turning Into A Prairie Fire In Challenging Proto-Fascism
08/07/2021
Countercurrents.org / by Harsh Thakor
It is most heartening how the masses of India are not taking the custodial murder of Father Stan Swamy lying down. We must congratulate all the sections be it of the workers, peasants, youth or students who have collectively galvanised forces to crystallise resistance against neo-fascism. A spark is virtually being turned into a Prairie fire. In the last few days a spurt of qualitative protests has taken place in Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and all around the country. Read more
Rage and Mourn: Protests Across the Country in Response to Father Stan Swamy Death
07/07/2021
Gaurilankeshnews.com / by Gauri Lankesh News Desk
BK undertrials have demanded a judicial inquiry in the institutional murder of Fr. Stan Swamy and that the Taloja jail superintendent Kaustubh Kurlekar
With the news of the demise of tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy on 5th July, under judicial custody in the Elgar Parishad case, masses all across the country, as well as many rights defenders globally, have expressed grief and anguish at the Modi regime for its murderous hounding of those who have been resisting its fascist rule. Following the funeral of Fr. Swamy which was live-streamed on YouTube for his family and well-wishers to witness, protests have erupted throughout the country. Read more
Illustration by #bakeryprasad
Those Jailed In Bhima Koregaon Case Be Released: Opposition Leaders To President
Opposition leaders write to the President expressing outrage at the death in custody of Fr #StanSwamy. Say all those jailed in the Bhima Koregaon case as well as other political detenues who have been jailed for sedition under draconian laws like UAPA must be released forthwith.
Click to enlarge
Press Briefing by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
06/07/2021
By Liz Throssell, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Press briefing notes on India
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Liz Throssell
Location: Geneva
Date: 6 July 2021
We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the death of 84-year-old Father Stan Swamy, a human rights defender and Jesuit priest, in Mumbai yesterday, following his arrest in October 2020 under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Father Stan had been held in pre-trial detention without bail since his arrest, charged with terrorism-related offences in relation to demonstrations that date back to 2018. He was a long-standing activist, particularly on the rights of indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups. While in Mumbai’s Taloja Central Jail, his health deteriorated and he reportedly contracted COVID-19. His repeated applications for bail were rejected. He died as the Bombay High Court was considering an appeal against the rejection of his bail application. Read full statement
Stan Swamy: India outrage over death of jailed activist
06/07/2021
BBC / by BBC
Thousands of activists, political leaders and Indian citizens have taken to social media to pay tributes to jailed tribal rights activist Stan Swamy who died at the age of 84.
Many also expressed anger at the way he was jailed during Covid-19 and repeatedly denied bail. Read more
Native village in Tiruchy grieves Stan Swamy’s demise
06/07/2021
The New Indian Express / by Jayakumar Madala
Scores of vehicles started arriving at Virugallur village in Tiruchy, moments after news of Fr Stan Swamy’s death broke in the media. People from near and far descended in the 84-year-old priest’s native village to express their condolences.
“He was a humble man who dedicated a lifetime to the welfare of tribal people,” said Swamy’s brother TPL Irudayaswamy (89). Read more
Mumbai
Kolkata
Bhilai
Panjim
Chandigarh
Ranchi
• • •
We are ruled by fiends – The have put a curse upon this land
07/07/2021
Newslaundry / by Arundhati Roy
The excruciating, slow-motion, custodial murder of 84-year-old Father Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest who spent decades of his life in the service of India’s dispossessed, took place in the show window of our democracy. Our judiciary, police, intelligence services, and prison system are responsible. Our mainstream media too. All of them were aware of the case, and of his failing health. And yet he continued to be ground down. Read more
Video: Memorial mass for Father Stan Swamy // Online Condolences Meeting: #RIP Stan
On 26th June “Movement Against UAPA and Other Repressive Laws (MURL)” conducted ONLINE NATIONAL CONVENTION demanding REPEAL OF ALL UNCONSTITUTIONAL REPRESSIVE LAWS Watch part 1 Watch part 2
Video: Jailed to Die? India’s incarcerated human rights defenders and the Covid emergeny
By InSAF (June 19):
We’re Live now talking about India’s incarcerated human right defenders and the #covid emergency with @lsnul @jennyrowena @Aakar__Patel @koel_ko, Simi Korote, Shahrukh Alam and Father Xavier +++
Shahrukh Alam draws important comparison between Indian and other legal systems, noting how the Indian legal system allows for a lengthy period of detention even before the person is found guilty +++
She further notes on how recent #UAPA FIRs against political dissidents are against the right to political protest but are highly problematic in their treatment of dissidents from marginalised groups, openly criminalised and reek of islamophobia +++
@Aakar__Patel notes how post 2014, under a majoritarian government, all minority communities have been sidelined. He further notes how this majoritarianism has resulted in specific legal implications, mostly for Muslims and other minorities +++
He also notes, “the only reason the Bhima Koregaon undertrials are still in jail is because of the state’s malice…”. Are we just going to allow our human right defenders to languish in prisons for the satisfaction of the Indian govt? We need accountability & justice! +++
Listening to Sagar Gonsalves speak about his father and his helplessness in ‘Jailed to Die? India’s incarcerated human rights defenders and the Covid emergency’ … enraging! +++
Father Xavier talks of how Father Stan Swamy, 84 year old in prison, has been criminalised for standing for the rights of the marginalised, specifically rights of tribal and adivasi communities. Shame on the Indian state! +++
Kudos to @jennyrowena for speaking so bravely about how her partner, Prof Hany Babu has challenged caste hierarchies within academia, politics and the country for which he is now being punished. She notes the disproportionate caste representation in these spaces +++
And how the only way to change this is to get freedom from the caste colony, demanding accountabilities Ty from the savarnas! She calls for the takeover of universities, legal system, political systems by Dalit-Bahujans for any hope of change in this country +++
@jennyrowena notes how her husband, prof Hany Babu had a severe eye infection in prison which has since even threatened his vision but was denied appropriate medical attention. This brutality of this legal system is horrific. We stand in solidarity with @jennyrowena & Hany Babu +++
Activists of the Jamhoori Adhikar Sabha and other like-minded organisations on Wednesday staged a protest and carried out a march while seeking immediate release of those who were booked and arrested for the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence. Read more
Farmers’ body raises voice for jailed activists again
Six months after being described as “urban naxals” and “Maoists” for demanding the release of activists arrested in cases of Bhima Koregaon Alghar Parishad and Delhi riots, farm organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) reiterated its demand for unconditional release of writers, intellectuals and rationalists. They again displayed photos of Gautam Navlakha, Natasha Narwal, Soma Sen, Gautam Gilani, Rona Wilson and Umar Khalid. Members of Naujwan Bharat Sabha and Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) released a poster depicting people in a cage. The protesters called for dedicating a fortnight to support jailed activists. Read more
Zurich, Switzerland: Solifonds in collaboration with the Frauenrechts Gruppe of Amnesty Zurich Chapter, held a demonstration to protest for the release of the 16 human rights activists in India. They also wrote a solidarity message for the prisoners signed by the people who participated at the activities.
Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany: IndienKoGruppe: Solidarity from Berlin and Frankfurt. Defending the Defenders of Indian Constitutional Values and Human Rights.
Freedom shall prevail, defend the defenders!
Cambridge, UK
Dundee, Scotland: Amnesty Dundee – The BK 16 are a group of human rights defenders who have been imprisoned indefinitely by the Indian Government for standing up for human rights.
Amnesty Kenya: #BK16 solidarity from Nairobi, Kenya. Our members, staff and Board stand with the 16 Human Rights Defenders incarcerated in India #FreeBK16 #FreeThemAll unconditionally now
