Indian authorities are wrongfully prosecuting activists and protest organisers under the anti-terrorism law, two years after 53 people were killed in communal violence following demonstrations against the citizenship policies, Human Rights Watch said in statement on Monday. Authorities should drop charges and “release the 18 activists and others detained”, it said.
“Indian authorities have been targeting activists instead of impartially investigating BJP leaders who allegedly incited violence. The Delhi police were also allegedly complicit in attacks,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
Silence govt. critics
“The authorities should prosecute those responsible for the violence and stop using these investigations to silence government critics,” she said.
Police investigations into the riot cases have been marked by bias, delays, inaccuracy, lack of proper evidence and failure to follow proper procedures, the statement said. According to the Human Rights Watch, the Delhi police have filed 758 first information reports into the riots, “but two years later, according to a report filed by the police in the Delhi High Court, investigations are pending in over half the cases”, it said, adding that 92 cases have reached trial.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has raised concerns over the Indian government’s use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against rights activists.
“Investigations in the 2020 violence point to reasons for the lack of trust in the police in India and the urgent need for reforms to combat communal bias and other problems,” Ms. Ganguly said.
