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The United Nations Human Rights Office, led by high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk, has urged the Indian government to drop the Unlawful Activities case against writer Arundhati Roy and former professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain for remarks they made in 2010.

https://thewire.in/rights/un-rights-chief-urges-india-to-withdraw-uapa-case-against-arundhati-roy-sheikh-showkat-hussain 

The invocation of the UAPA against the two will allow the government to bypass the statute of limitations for the IPC sections involved and that the definition of “unlawful activities” – in Section 13 of the Act, under which the police have sought sanction to prosecute them – includes phrases used in sedition law.

28/06/2024

"State Has Become an Anarchy & They're Crushing Humanity": GN Saibaba's Moving Speech Post Release  Mar 8, 2024
In a press conference following his decade-long incarceration, renowned activist GN Saibaba expressed profound gratitude to the media and press for their unwavering support throughout his ordeal. Addressing reporters, Saibaba revealed the dire state of his health, disclosing that only half of his heart is now functioning—a grim consequence of his time behind bars. 

Speaking candidly, Saibaba shed light on the appalling conditions he endured during his imprisonment, underscoring how he was sidelined while some gangsters thrived within the confines of the prison. His health deteriorated amidst these harsh circumstances, painting a harrowing picture of the toll exacted by his incarceration.

 Beyond his personal plight, Saibaba passionately advocated for the plight of other political prisoners, emphasizing the need for their voices to be heard and their rights to be upheld. Amidst reflections on his own struggle, he tenderly remembered his mother and lamented the growing sense of anarchy pervading the state.

Imam was arrested in 2020 after police in five different states – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh – filed first information reports against him in connection with speeches he made during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register for Citizens (NRC). Among other charges, he was charged under sedition and subsequently under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and also named as an accused in the Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case.

Imam has spent four years in jail, despite not being convicted in any of the cases.vhttps://thewire.in/rights/sharjeel-imam-jail-uapa-activist-civil-society-support 

Four years since he was arrested, the Delhi high court has listed Imam’s bail plea 46 times, and is now set to hear his plea afresh next month in connection to the Delhi riots case under FIR 59/2020. His bail plea under the first FIR 20/2020 under which he was arrested in connection with his speeches, will also begin afresh next month in a lower court in Delhi. 

by Sravasti Dasgupta

29/01/2024