To,

The Chairman, National Human Rights Commission

THROUGH

Shri C.S. Mawri

Assistant Registrar(Law), Scrutiny Branch-III Scrutining & registration of complaints

National Human Rights Commission

Sir,

Sub: Urgent Appeal for Action – Jharkhand: Abduction and Illegal arrest of 83-year-old Jesuit priest and Adivasi rights activist Fr Stan Swamy in the Bhima-Koregaon Case.

KCYM is the official state and regional organization under the auspices of the KCBC Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council. It is affiliated to the National Youth Body the "Indian Catholic Youth Movement" (ICYM).

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Idukki is an eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Church.KCYM Diocese of Idukki has 120 units in our diocese and it exerts its influence over 15000 youth.

We are writing to you seeking your urgent intervention in the case of arrest of 83-year-old Jesuit priest and Adivasi and human rights defender Fr Stan Swamy on 8 October, 2020, in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon Elgar Parishad case. Swamy is the 16thand the oldest person to be arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a case in which prominent human rights defenders across the country have been arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

About the Human Rights Defender:

Fr. Stan Swamy is a Jesuit priest and human rights activist from Ranchi in Jharkhand. After his stint as Director, Indian Social Institute, Bengaluru and his association with JOHAR (Jharkhand Organization for Human Rights) in Chaibasa, Swamy moved to Ranchi and founded Bagaicha, a Jesuit social research and training centre. He has been active at Bagaicha for the last 15 years, and has worked in collaboration with people’s movements that are working against unjust displacement, human rights violations, illegal land acquisitions, and policies that were designed or amended to acquire more land, making the indigenous people landless.

Perpetrators:

National Investigation Agency

Date of Incident: October 8, 2020

Place of Incident: Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand

APPEAL:

We further contend that he has been forcibly picked up by the NIA without any arrest warrant or memo and we fear for his life and liberty. He has been interrogated for over 15 hours in the last few weeks and has always co-operated with the investigation agency in the past.

We also bring to Hon’ble Commission’s attention about the misuse of terror legislations against prominent HRDs of this country. We urge the NHRC to take definite measures and place before the appropriate court, the urgency that these HRDs are released on bail, most of them now languishing in prisons for almost two years now. Awaiting your immediate response and action on India's biggest human rights violation issue .

Yours sincerely,

TOMIN AUGUSTINE

(PRESIDENT, KCYM-DIOCESE OF IDUKKI)

MOB: 9961743534

KIRAN GEORGE THOMAS

(GENERAL SECRETARY, KCYM-DIOCESE OF IDUKKI)

MOB: 9400345755