The chair of the European Parliament’s subcommittee on human rights has written to Union home minister Amit Shah “to stop impeding and criminalising the work of human rights defenders”, citing the arrests of activists that are continuing even during the lockdown. “As pointed out by United Nations Special Procedures, this clearly represents a violation of international human rights standards.”Academic and Dalit author Teltumbde and human rights activist Navlakha had surrendered to the police last month after exhausting their possible legal remedies. In 2018, the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had issued a statement against terror charges being invoked against the activists. India should do much more to ensure a safe and conducive environment for civil society working in the country and consider enacting a law on the protection and promotion of human rights defenders. “The unprecedented situation of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to repeated calls by the United Nations for the immediate release of prisoners of conscience as part of overall efforts to contain the outbreak….”

Source: The Telegraph May 31, 2020 00:22 UTC