BK11 – free them all

PUNISHED FOR SPEAKING UP – The ongoing use of restrictive laws to stifle dissent

22/09/2020 Rani

By CIVICUS

The Indian government is using a variety of restrictive laws – including national security and counter terrorism legislation – to arrest and imprison human rights defenders, peaceful protesters and critics, global civil society alliance CIVICUS said today in a new report.

The report covers:
– The judicial harassment of activists, targeting of journalists and crackdown on protesters;
– How rights violations have continued during President Modi’s second term and throughout the pandemic;
– Calls for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained activists, protesters and human rights defenders.
Read full report

Condemn the arbitrary arrest of Prof. Hany Babu!

28/07/2020 Rani

By Campaign Against State Repression

Stop the witch-hunt of human rights defenders by the NIA!
Immediately release all political prisoners!

July 28th 2020: The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) condemns the arrest of Professor Hany Babu MT at Mumbai by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case. Despite the surging cases of COVID-19 in both Delhi and Mumbai, Prof. Babu of the Department of English in Delhi University was summoned as a witness and forced by the NIA to travel to Mumbai after being denied the option of video conferencing. Cooperating with the NIA since July 24th 2020, it quickly became clear that the questioning was merely a ruse to force Prof. Babu into providing false testimony against other persons and accepting allegations of being a functionary of the Maoists. …

Where are the Humane People Among Those in Authority Today?

28/07/2020 Rani

News Click / by Romila Thapar

Varavara Rao, 80 years old, became seriously ill. His illness was aggravated by the terrible living conditions in Indian prisons, not to mention the rank over-crowding in jails.
As citizens of India, we need to know what is happening to other Indians. We have the right to know what is happening to them. Why were these eleven Indians arrested?
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Press Release by VV Rao´s Family / Academics & Activists Demand: Release Varavara Rao and Others

20/07/2020 Rani

Press Release by Varavara´s Wife and Daughters

By Hemalatha, P Sahaja, P Anala, P Pavana

Click to enlarge

146 Academics From Across the World Demand Varavara Rao’s Release

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

New Delhi: A group of 146 scholars from across the world have come together to ask the Indian government to release 80-year-old Telugu poet Varavara Rao from prison. Rao is currently in Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital for neurological and urological treatment. He has also tested positive for COVID-19.
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Protests in Punjab Demanding Release of Varavara Rao and Other Activists

Gauri Lankesh News / by Gauri Lankesh News Desk

The protesters said that the current government is harassing those who are fighting for people’s rights. They condemned the actions of the government and the indifference of the courts.
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CLC & Left Parties Demand Unconditional Release of Public Intellectuals arrested in BK Case & Prof. Saibaba

17/07/2020 Rani

CDRO Online / by Coordination of Democratic Rights Organaisation

A round table meeting was held on 14th July 2020, at the Godavarikhani, Ambedkar Bhavan on the issue of arrested intellectuals in Bhima-Koregaon case. This meeting was attended by different public associations, Civil Liberties Committee (CLC), leftist parties like CPI, CPIM, CPI-ML New Democracy and Dalit groups like All India Ambedkar Youth Association (AIAYA), Madiga Reservation PorataSamithi (MRPS) and Mala Mahanadu.
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CASR: Release Varavara Rao immediately! Demand the release of all political prisoners!

16/07/2020 Rani

By Campaign Against State Repression

The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) demands the immediate release of the revolutionary poet Varavara Rao who has tested positive for COVID-19. As per information received by family members, Varavara Rao’s health has rapidly deteriorated over the last couple of weeks. This is also evidenced by his weakening physical state, incoherent speech and inability to independently perform daily or bodily functions. After persistent efforts of family members in highlighting his health condition, the jail authorities, who had denied these concerns, were compelled to shift Varavara Rao to JJ Hospital in Mumbai on July 13th. However, his health further worsened as hospital authorities failed to care for him. They even forcibly sent away his family for raising concerns about him being abandoned on a dirty and unsanitary stretcher. Today, he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been shifted to Saint George Hospital, Mumbai.
…

Mumbai Rises: Life of Prisoners put at risk during pandemic! Release All Political Prisoners!

16/07/2020 Rani

By Mumbai Rises To Save Democracy

Life of Prisoners put at risk during pandemic !
VARAVARA RAO tests positive for Covid 19!
Demand Immediate Release of All Political Prisoners!
STOP IMPRISONING DURING PANDEMIC!

People’s Poet Varavara Rao has been shifted to the Saint George Hospital today after he tested positive for Coronavirus. The 80 year old poet has been jailed along with 10 others activists in a false case post the attacks at Bhima Koregaon in 2018. …

More than 500 appeal CM Uddhav Thackeray to release BK accused

16/07/2020 Rani

Karctivist.org/ by Kractivist

Mumbai, July 16, 2020 – More than 500 individuals including activists academics, lawyers and Students endorsed petition to Chief Minister Maharashtra Uddhav Bal Thackeray demanding interim bail amidst Covid 19 Pandemic for the Bhima Koregaon 11.
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Workers Demand: Free Sudha Bharadwaj!

Chhattisgarh, July 14

Free Varavara Rao – Release All Political Prisoners

15/07/2020 Rani

By Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation

… what Varavara Rao and other political prisoners need is more than basic humanitarian care. They need justice.
They have been imprisoned on the ridiculous charge of “conspiring to kill the Prime Minister.” The only evidence against them is their attempts to build an anti-fascist movement in India. Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde, Shoma Sen, Sudha Bharadwaj, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudhir Dhawale and Rona Wilson are not “conspirators”. Each of them has worn their politics on their sleeves, speaking, writing, and working for the rights and assertion of the oppressed in India.
Read full statement

The ‘Encounter Raj’ mindset: Stop mocking those who stand for human rights

15/07/2020 Rani

The Times of India / by Sagarika Ghose

… Today, as a result of mass celebration of rough and ready justice by police bullets on the streets, the notion of human rights has been gravely undermined, constricted and even mocked. So called ‘human rights wallahs’ are subject to shrill public vilification, lampooned, called ‘anti-nationals’ and repeatedly denounced by jingoist media.
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