The Hindu : Front Page : Amnesty calls for the release of Binayak Sen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 25, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Amnesty calls for the release of Binayak Sen

Hasan Suroor

Binayak Sen

LONDON: Amnesty International on Friday joined a growing list of individuals and organisations that have called for the release of Binayak Sen, a rights activist jailed in Chhattisgarh for alleged Maoist links.

Amnesty described the charges against him as “baseless and politically motivated” and said his continued detention is in breach of international law.

It “is a glaring example of how the Indian authorities misuse security legislation to target activists. These are open to abuse as they contain vague and sweeping definitions of ‘unlawful activities.’ Under no circumstances should work that peacefully defends human rights be termed an ‘unlawful activity’,” said Madhu Malhotra, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Programme. Amnesty was also “gravely concerned” that Dr. Sen was being detained for seven months, denied bail, and kept in solitary confinement without proper charges being filed against him.

“Many of the charges against him stem from laws that contravene international standards. Repeated delays in the conduct of his trial have also heightened doubts about its fairness,” she said in a statement. Dr. Sen’s wife, Ilina Sen, who regularly visits him in jail, told Amnesty that he suffered from recurring chest pain and needed specialist medical care, but the State government had rejected his plea for transfer to a hospital outside Raipur.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page