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Afzal case for European Parliament

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: The case of Afzal Guru, sentenced to death for his alleged role in the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001, will be raised in the European Parliament during President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's visit to Europe later this month, the U.K.-based South Asia Solidarity Group has announced.

The decision was taken at a meeting of leading human rights and legal experts held here on Thursday in support of Mr. Guru.

"The meeting decided to urgently bring the details of Afzal's case and the miscarriage of justice before the European Parliament. British MPs Jeremy Corbyn, Roger Godsiff, John McDonell and George Galloway have already signed a letter to the Indian President urging him to show mercy to Afzal Guru," the Group said in a statement

A book by Nandita Haksar, Framing Geelani, Hanging Afzal - Patriotism in the Time of Terror, was released at the meeting. Moazzam Begg, one of nine Britons detained at Guantanamo Bay, called for an international campaign to get justice for Mr. Guru. He spoke about his own experience and drew parallels to Mr. Guru's case.

Amrit Wilson from the Group said, "The forces of Hindutva and the so-called war on terror have led to an erosion of democratic values in India. In trying to bring [U.S. President] Bush's version of `democracy', India is becoming an authoritarian state."

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