NNWN/20/10/2020

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday urged the Government to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders and NGO. His statement within a few days of the arrest 83-year-old activist Stan Swamy who has been languishing remains in detention, despite his poor health.
“I urge the Government to ensure that no one else is detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly – and to do its utmost, in law and policy, to protect India‟s robust civil society,” the High Commissioner said. UN High Commissioner also spoke on amendments in FCRA, said, “I also urge the authorities to carefully review the FCRA for its compliance with international human rights standards and to release people charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for simply exercising basic human rights that India is obligated to protect.”
Expressing regret at the tightening of space for human rights NGOs in particular and restrict foreign funding. “India has long had a strong civil society, which has been at the forefront of groundbreaking human rights advocacy within the country and globally,” the High Commissioner said. “But I am concerned that vaguely defined laws are increasingly being used to stifle these voices.”
On the amended Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which a number of UN human rights bodies* have also expressed concern , he said that the amended version is vaguely worded and overbroad in its objective. The Act prohibits the receipt of foreign funds “for any activities prejudicial to the public interest.”