![]() The court accused the petitioner and human rights defenders supporting her of a ‘devious stratagem’ to keep the ‘pot boiling’ and noted that those involved in such ‘abuse of process need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with law’.Ī day later, Gujarat authorities arrested Teesta Setalvad, prominent human rights defender and a vocal supporter of Jafri, along with other activists. Zakia Jafri’s plea was for a wider probe into the role of Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, into the mass violence. In June, the Indian Supreme Court dismissed a plea by Zakia Jafri, wife of former parliamentarian Ehsan Jafri, who was murdered along with 69 others he was trying to protect from Hindu mobs in the Gujarat 2002 pogroms. To make matters worse, Indian courts now seem to be acting against survivors and human rights defenders seeking justice. These trends have not only weakened the rule of law in India, but also exacerbate impunity and embolden perpetrators. That same day, 11 men convicted for life in 2008 for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano, and the murder of 14 of her family members during the 2022 anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat, had their sentences remitted. ![]() Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of women’s rights, dignity and Nari Shakti (women power). On 15 August, India celebrated 75 years of independence from colonial rule. Just last week brought a shocking development. Last year, the state government of Uttar Pradesh withdrew scores of criminal cases against perpetrators of anti-Muslim mass violence in 2013 in Muzaffarnagar, which saw more than 50 lose their lives and 50,000 people affected. Instead, accusations of grave human rights abuses against state forces are routinely dismissed by authorities and Indian courts. Of the more egregious violations detailed in the report, no perpetrators have been brought to justice. This has left victims of even the most serious violations with no effective remedy. India’s National Human Rights Commission has remained a dead letter, while the Indian judiciary has remained passive, despite urgent need. Law enforcement authorities rarely investigate independently. The experts found that most violations of human rights against Muslims went unaddressed by domestic institutions. Domestic institutions in India are failing Other experts who cared enough to raise concerns have been personally targeted. In September 2021, after various concerns about Jammu and Kashmir were raised by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Indian government dismissed them as ‘ unwarranted remarks’ that ‘do not reflect the ground reality’. When concerns about its human rights record are raised internationally, India responds with either clichés and platitudes, or disdain and open hostility. Yet, with such grave violations, why has the reaction from the international community been silence? Episodes of violence in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, while certain instances of hate speech may amount to incitement to commit genocide. They argue that the situation shows a state-led, systematic targeting of Indian Muslims because of their religion and their status as a minority. The range of those violations is staggering and includes: torture and inhumane treatment (including against children) sexual violence incitement to violence arbitrary detention violations of freedom of religion or belief violations of freedoms of expression, association and assembly violations of fair trial rights discrimination in law and policy and violations of other economic, social and cultural rights. The evidence they found suggests that countless human rights of Muslims across India have been violated by the Indian authorities. The result of that work is a 494-page report on alleged violations against Indian Muslims since 2019. Rapp is one of three international human rights experts who formed a Panel of Independent International Experts and investigated the issue. The truth is, there is a lot of evidence. That is a serious assertion, but it’s one made with reason. Its core message was simple: today there is enough evidence that recent acts of violence against the religious minority may amount to crimes against humanity. By Samrawit Gougsa, Head of Communications at Minority Rights Group InternationalĪ few days ago, I read an op-ed by Stephen Rapp in The Diplomat about violence against Muslims in India.
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