Michelle Bachelet expresses concern over death of Stan SwamyAll 15 co-accused in the Bhima Koregaon case should be released pending trial, said the United Nations Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday, as she expressed concern over the death of 84-year-old Jesuit priest and tribal activist Stan Swamy in custody. The statement from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which follows similar concerns from the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and the European Union (E.U.) The U.N. Special Rapporteurs have also raised the issue of human rights defenders in a couple of communications to the Indian government, and are expected to release another update on the issue next month. This would be in line with the Indian judiciary’s calls to decongest the prisons,” the OHCHR statement said. His interim bail hearing was in progress in the Bombay High Court on Monday when news of his death was announced.

Source: The Hindu July 06, 2021 14:03 UTC