TCN News
Dr Kafeel Khan has written to Maria Arena, the Chair of Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament thanking her for urging the Indian government for the release of human rights defenders incarcerated in various false charges under UAPA and sedition.
“I was tortured mentally as well as physically,” wrote Dr Kafeel, speaking about his days during imprisonment. He shared that he was even “denied food and water for many days,” other than being “treated inhumanly” during his seven months of imprisonment. He said that he was locked inside a congested and overcrowded prison in Mathura prison despite the looming scare of COVID-19 pandemic. Continuing, he thanked the European Parliament and international human rights committees that voiced their support for the cause of justice and fairness as opposed by the draconian citizenship laws in India passed under the BJP government in December 2019.
“The use of stringent national security laws /UAPA against political dissenters, in the absence of any appeal to violence, is something to be condemned in all cases,” he said, discussing how social activists, rights defenders, journalists and other professionals have been arrested for peacefully protesting against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens.
Reminding that the authorities didn’t listen to the appeals of hundreds of activists including Umar Khalid, Prashant Kanojia, Akhil Gogoi, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Stan Swamy, Sharjeel Imam and others, Dr Kafeel expressed concerns as they are still languishing behind bars. In his letter of gratitude to Maria Arena, he reiterated that “authorities are continuing to invoke counter-terrorism and national security legislation using procedural police powers against human right defenders,” merely for raising their voices on issues which would affect India’s poorest and most marginalized community. He said that activists and students are continuously being detained, thus “violating international human right standards” amid the COVID-19 havoc.
“It is indeed essential to engage all strength and means to fight against the pandemic rather than using discretionary powers to suppress freedom of speech,” he said. Urging activists to keep fighting, he also voiced his commitment marked by devotion and determination towards serving his county “regardless of the obstacles created.”