Un gruppo di intellettuali di
diversi paesi ha presentato una petizione al governo dell'India
per rilasciare
il Dr. G N Saibaba e Varavara Rao
Oltre 130 noti intellettuali di
tutto il mondo hanno fatto appello al Presidente dell'India e al Presidente
della Giustizia dell'India per la liberazione del professor G.N. Saibaba e
l'attivista Varavara Rao che si trovano nelle carceri del Maharashtra in mezzo
all’esplosione del COVID-19.
Tra i firmatari vi sono alcuni
intellettuali famosi come Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, Partha Chatterjee, Homi
K. Bhabha, Bruno Latour, Gerald Horne e Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. In una
dichiarazione, hanno detto, "Il professor Saibaba dell'Università di Delhi
è disabile al 90% con la sindrome post-polio. Nonostante la sua disabilità,
rimane instancabile attivista per la giustizia sociale e un impegnato difensore
dei diritti umani. È stato implicato in un processo costruito ad arte in cui si
sosteneva che stava ‘facendo la guerra contro lo stato’. È in prigione da tre
anni”.
La dichiarazione afferma inoltre
che il poeta Varavara Rao, ottantenne, è un noto intellettuale e fervido
attivista per i diritti civili. “Negli ultimi 60 anni ha dimostrato un fermo
impegno nel lavorare per gli oppressi. Negli ultimi 18 mesi è stato in
prigione, in attesa di processo. Molti studiosi internazionali e acclamate
organizzazioni come PEN International hanno chiesto il suo rilascio", si
legge nella nota.
Nel marzo 2017, un tribunale di
Gadchiroli ha condannato Saibaba e altre quattro persone, tra cui un
giornalista e uno studente della JNU, per legami con i maoisti e per attività
che consistono nello scatenare una guerra contro il paese ai sensi del rigoroso
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (Legge contro le attività illecite - UAPA).
A seguito della condanna, Saibaba è stato portato nella prigione di Nagpur.
Nel frattempo, Varavara Rao è
stato arrestato per il collegamento Elgar Parishad-Maoisti che è stato trasferito
al National Investigation Agency dal Centro. Il caso si riferisce a presunti
discorsi incendiari fatti alla riunione di Elgar Parishad tenutosi a Pune il 31
dicembre 2017, che, secondo la polizia, ha scatenato la violenza il giorno
successivo vicino al memoriale di guerra di Koregaon-Bhima. La polizia di Pune
ha anche affermato che la riunione era sostenuta dai maoisti.
Ecco la dichiarazione completa:
Noi sottoscritti, facciamo
appello per la liberazione di noti intellettuali e attivisti per la giustizia
sociale, Prof. G.N. Saibaba e Varavara Rao, che sono imprigionati per processi costruiti
ad arte e vulnerabili all'infezione da COVID-19 nelle prigioni sovraffollate
del Maharashtra.
Il professore indiano G.N.
Saibaba sta attualmente languendo in prigione in India senza accesso a cure
mediche adeguate o alla sua sedia a rotelle. Il professor Saibaba è disabile al
90% con la sindrome post-polio e tuttavia le autorità della prigione si sono
sempre rifiutate di fornirgli assistenza durante gli spostamenti, anche per le
funzioni corporee fondamentali come andare in bagno. Soffre di una serie di
disturbi potenzialmente letali (tra cui pancreatite acuta, complicanze
cardiache, ipertensione, calcoli alla cistifellea, svenimenti e altro) e ha
perso gran parte del funzionamento di entrambe le mani da quando è stato
imprigionato. La continua negligenza delle autorità della prigione è in realtà
una condanna a morte durante la pandemia di COVID-19. Chiediamo al governo
indiano di rilasciare immediatamente il professor G.N. Saibaba dalla prigione
su cauzione per motivi sanitari in modo che possa ricevere cure mediche
adeguate ed essere protetto dall'epidemia di Coronavirus.
Il professor Saibaba è stato sequestrato
e arrestato il 9 maggio 2014 mentre lasciava il campus dell'Università di
Delhi. La polizia ha affermato di aver trovato documenti e corrispondenza che
presumibilmente dimostrano i suoi legami con il PCI (maoista), un partito
politico vietato in India. Tuttavia, nei procedimenti giudiziari contro
Saibaba, gli accusatori non sono stati in grado di produrre prove chiare di
questa accusa o dell'accusa di "condurre una guerra contro lo stato".
Commentando la condanna, Amnesty International ha dichiarato che "ritiene
che le accuse contro G. N. Saibaba siano fabbricate ad arte e che il suo
processo non abbia soddisfatto gli standard internazionali di equo
processo". Indipendentemente dalla credibilità o meno del processo e della
condanna, il professor Saibaba ha diritto a cure mediche adeguate e cauzione per
motivi sanitari. Ora che il Coronavirus si sta diffondendo come un incendio nel
sistema carcerario indiano, questa condanna a vita potrebbe benissimo diventare
una condanna a morte.
Il professor Saibaba è
confinato su una sedia a rotelle poiché soffre di sindrome post-polio, che
inibisce l'uso delle gambe. Nonostante la sua disabilità, rimane un
instancabile attivista per la giustizia sociale e un impegnato difensore dei
diritti umani. Un recente rapporto di Scholars at Risk ha osservato che Saibaba
‘ha collaborato con attivisti e movimenti per indagare e lottare contro le
multinazionali e aziende nazionali, che estraggono risorse dalla regione a
spese dell'ambiente e dello sfollamento delle comunità indigene". Molti,
incluso la scrittrice di fama internazionale Arundhati Roy, hanno ipotizzato
che il professor Saibaba sia stato arrestato a causa del suo attivismo e della
sua coraggiosa difesa dei diritti umani degli oppressi.
Inoltre, le autorità della
prigione non gli hanno permesso di inviare o ricevere lettere nella sua lingua
madre, il Telugu. Anche quando sua madre si è recata a trovarlo, insistettero
che lui le parlasse solo in inglese, nonostante il fatto che lei non parlasse
inglese. Ora la madre è sul letto di morte, in lotta contro il cancro
terminale, mentre suo figlio languisce in prigione, un prigioniero politico cui
viene negata l'assistenza medica e la possibilità di comunicare con molti dei
suoi cari.
I tribunali hanno negato la
recente domanda di libertà condizionale di Saibaba durante questa pandemia.
Sostenevano che suo fratello (con il quale sarebbe rimasto se rilasciato)
viveva in una zona di contenimento COVID-19; ma, questo non è vero. Inoltre,
sembra probabile che sia maggiormente a rischio di contrarre il COVID-19 in
prigione.
Ora il professor Saibaba si
trova in prigione, perde frequentemente conoscenza ed è incapace persino di
andare in bagno senza assistenza, cosa che gli viene regolarmente negata. Siamo
profondamente turbati dalla crudeltà con cui il governo indiano e il sistema
giudiziario stanno trattando Saibaba. Poiché i suoi carcerieri hanno
ripetutamente dimostrato la loro incapacità o riluttanza a fornirgli adeguate
cure mediche, e poiché il Coronavirus si sta diffondendo attraverso il sistema
carcerario indiano, abbiamo sottoscritto la richiesta di rilascio immediato del
Professor G.N. Saibaba dalla prigione.
Il poeta ottantenne Varavara
Rao è un eminente intellettuale e fervido attivista per i diritti civili. Negli
ultimi 60 anni ha dimostrato un fermo impegno nel lavorare per gli oppressi.
Nel corso dei decenni, lo stato indiano ha cercato di mettere a tacere la sua
voce coinvolgendolo in molti processi costruiti ad arte. Negli ultimi 45 anni,
sono stati montati contro di lui 25 “casi”. Ha trascorso circa 8 anni in
prigione in attesa del processo, ma è stato assolto in tutti i casi precedenti.
Nel novembre 2018, Varavara Rao è stato nuovamente arrestato, questa volta come
parte della repressione a livello nazionale degli intellettuali ben noti al
pubblico da parte del governo Modi in relazione al famigerato caso Bhima
Koregaon. Attualmente è imprigionato nel carcere di Taloja, Navi Mumbai nel
Maharashtra, in attesa di processo. Molti studiosi internazionali e acclamate
organizzazioni come PEN International hanno chiesto la sua liberazione.
Anche dopo 18 mesi di custodia
giudiziaria, non sono state presentate accuse contro di lui. È importante
notare che il Maharashtra è stato identificato come l'epicentro dell'epidemia
di Coronavirus in India. Inoltre, il governo ha ammesso in un caso di “Contenzioso
di interesse pubblico” (PIL) presso l'Alta corte di Mumbai che un detenuto è
morto di recente per COVID-19 nella prigione di Taloja. Nel contesto della
pandemia da COVID-19, Varavara Rao, che soffre di molteplici disturbi di salute,
si trova in una condizione sanitaria molto vulnerabile.
Di recente, il 28 maggio 2020,
Varavara Rao è svenuto in prigione ed è stato ricoverato all'ospedale JJ di
Mumbai, quando le sue condizioni sono diventate critiche. Il governo ha
risposto sconsideratamente ed è stato rimandato in prigione il 1° giugno 2020
dopo un trattamento preliminare per stabilizzare le sue condizioni. Il governo
non ha nemmeno permesso ai membri della sua famiglia di fargli visita in
ospedale o di parlargli al telefono. Data questa situazione inquietante, la
moglie di Varavara Rao ha presentato una petizione presso il tribunale della
National Investigation Agency (NIA) per rilasciarlo su cauzione. Ma il
tribunale ha rifiutato di rilasciarlo. Tuttavia, l'articolo 21 della
Costituzione indiana garantisce il diritto alla vita a tutti i cittadini,
compresi i prigionieri.
Considerando il deterioramento
delle condizioni di salute di G.N. Saibaba e Varavara Rao e lo scoppio del
COVID-19 nelle carceri, crediamo fermamente che esista un potenziale pericolo
per la loro vita. Facciamo appello affinché vengano rilasciati immediatamente
su cauzione per ristabilire il loro diritto alla vita.
Multinational Group Of Intellectuals Petition Government Of India To Release Dr. G N Saibaba And Varavara Rao
Over 130 renowned intellectuals from across the world have appealed to President of India and the Chief Justice of India for the release of professor G.N. Saibaba and activist Varavara Rao who are in Maharashtra prisons amid COVID-19 outbreak.
Among the signatories are some renowned intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, Partha Chatterjee, Homi K. Bhabha, Bruno Latour, Gerald Horne and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. In a statment, they said, “Delhi University Professor Saibaba is 90% disabled with post-polio syndrome. Despite his disability, he remains tireless social justice activist and a committed human rights defender. He was implicated in a fabricated case alleging that he was “waging war against the state.” He has been in prison for the past three years.”
The statement also says that 80-year-old poet Varavara Rao is a notable public intellectual and ardent
civil rights activist. “For the past 60 years he has shown a firm commitment to working for the oppressed. For the past 18 months, he has been in prison, awaiting trial. Many international scholars and acclaimed organizations such as PEN International have called for his release,” the statement reads.
In March 2017, a Gadchiroli sessions court sentenced Saibaba and four others, including a journalist and a JNU student, for Maoist links and for indulging in activities amounting to waging war against the country under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Following the conviction, Saibaba was lodged in the Nagpur prison.
Meanwhile, Varavara Rao was arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case which was transferred to the National Investigation Agency by the Centre. The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune in December 31,2017,which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial. The Pune police also claimed that the conclave was backed by Maoists.
Here is the full statement:
We, the undersigned, appeal for the release of public intellectuals and social justice activists, Prof. G.N. Saibaba and Varavara Rao, who are imprisoned on fabricated cases and vulnerable to COVID-19 infection in the overcrowded Maharashtra prisons.
Indian Professor G.N. Saibaba is currently languishing in prison in India without access to proper medical care or his wheelchair. Professor Saibaba is 90% disabled with post-polio syndrome and yet the jail authorities have continually refused to provide him with assistance in moving about, even for basic bodily functions like going to the bathroom. He suffers from a number of life-threatening ailments (including acute pancreatitis, cardiac complications, hypertension, impacted gallbladder stones, fainting spells, and more) and has lost most of the functioning of both his hands since being imprisoned. The continued negligence of jail authorities is effectively a death sentence for him during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are calling on the government of India to immediately release Professor G.N. Saibaba from prison on medical bail so that he can receive proper medical treatment and be protected from the Coronavirus outbreak.
Professor Saibaba was abducted and arrested on May 9, 2014 as he left the campus of Delhi University. Police claimed that they had found documents and correspondence allegedly proving his connections with the CPI (Maoist), a banned political party in India. However, in the court proceedings against Saibaba, they were not able to produce clear evidence of this charge or the charge that he was “waging war against the state.” Commenting on the conviction, Amnesty International stated that it “believes that the charges against G. N. Saibaba are fabricated and that his trial did not meet international fair trial standards.” Regardless of the credibility or otherwise of the trial and conviction, Professor Saibaba is entitled to proper medical care and medical bail. Now with Coronavirus spreading like wildfire through the Indian prison system, this life sentence could very well become a death-sentence.
Professor Saibaba is confined to a wheelchair as he suffers from post-polio syndrome, which inhibits the use of his legs. Despite his disability, he remains tireless social justice activist and a committed human rights defender. A recent report from Scholars at Risk noted that Saibaba “worked with activists and movements to investigate and struggle against the national and multinational corporations, which extract resources from the region at the cost of the environment and displacement of indigenous communities.” Many, including internationally acclaimed author Arundhati Roy, have speculated that Professor Saibaba was arrested because of his activism and his courageous defense of the human rights of the oppressed.
In addition, jail authorities have not permitted him to send or receive letters in his native tongue, Telugu. Even when his mother came to visit him, they insisted that he speak to her only in English despite the fact that she does not speak English. Now she is on her deathbed, battling terminal cancer, while her son languishes in jail, a political prisoner denied medical care as well as the ability to communicate with many of his loved ones.
The courts denied Saibaba’s recent application for parole during this pandemic. They claimed that his brother (with whom he would stay if released) was living in a COVID-19 containment zone; however, this is not true. What’s more, it seems likely that he is at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 in jail.
Now Professor Saibaba lies in jail, frequently falling in and out of consciousness and unable to even go to the toilet without assistance, which he is routinely denied. We are deeply disturbed by the cruelty with which the Indian government and the judicial system are treating Saibaba. As his jailers have repeatedly demonstrated their inability or unwillingness to provide proper medical care to him, and because the Coronavirus is now spreading through the Indian prison system, we the undersigned call for the immediate release of Professor G.N. Saibaba from prison.
The 80-year-old poet Varavara Rao is an eminent public intellectual and ardent civil rights activist. For the past 60 years he has shown a firm commitment to working for the oppressed. Over the decades, the Indian state has been trying to silence his voice by implicating him in many phony cases. Over the past 45 years, 25 false cases were foisted against him. He has spent about 8 years in prison while awaiting trial, but was acquitted in all prior cases. In November 2018, Varavara Rao was once again arrested, this time as part of the nation-wide crackdown of public intellectuals by the Modi government in relation to the infamous Bhima Koregaon case. He is currently imprisoned in the Taloja jail, Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra, awaiting trial. Many international scholars and acclaimed organizations such as PEN International have called for his release.
Even after 18 months of judicial custody, no charges have been filed against him. It is important to note that Maharashtra has been identified as the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak in India. Moreover, the government admitted in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case in the Mumbai High Court that one inmate recently died of COVID-19 in the Taloja jail. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Varavara Rao, who is suffering from multiple medical ailments, is in a very vulnerable medical condition.
Recently, on May 28, 2020, Varavara Rao fainted in the jail and was admitted to JJ Hospital, Mumbai, when his condition became critical. The government responded recklessly and he was sent back to jail on June 1st, 2020 after some preliminary treatment to stabilize his condition. The government did not even allow his family members to visit him in the hospital or talk to him over the phone. Given this disturbing situation, Varavara Rao’s wife filed a petition in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court to release him on bail. But, the court refused to release him. Yet, Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life to all citizens, including prisoners.
Considering G.N. Saibaba’s and Varavara Rao’s deteriorating health conditions and the outbreak of COVID-19 in prisons, we strongly believe that there is a potential danger to their lives. We appeal to you to release them immediately on bail to restore their right to live.
Among the signatories are some renowned intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky, Judith Butler, Partha Chatterjee, Homi K. Bhabha, Bruno Latour, Gerald Horne and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. In a statment, they said, “Delhi University Professor Saibaba is 90% disabled with post-polio syndrome. Despite his disability, he remains tireless social justice activist and a committed human rights defender. He was implicated in a fabricated case alleging that he was “waging war against the state.” He has been in prison for the past three years.”
The statement also says that 80-year-old poet Varavara Rao is a notable public intellectual and ardent
civil rights activist. “For the past 60 years he has shown a firm commitment to working for the oppressed. For the past 18 months, he has been in prison, awaiting trial. Many international scholars and acclaimed organizations such as PEN International have called for his release,” the statement reads.
In March 2017, a Gadchiroli sessions court sentenced Saibaba and four others, including a journalist and a JNU student, for Maoist links and for indulging in activities amounting to waging war against the country under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Following the conviction, Saibaba was lodged in the Nagpur prison.
Meanwhile, Varavara Rao was arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case which was transferred to the National Investigation Agency by the Centre. The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune in December 31,2017,which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial. The Pune police also claimed that the conclave was backed by Maoists.
Here is the full statement:
We, the undersigned, appeal for the release of public intellectuals and social justice activists, Prof. G.N. Saibaba and Varavara Rao, who are imprisoned on fabricated cases and vulnerable to COVID-19 infection in the overcrowded Maharashtra prisons.
Indian Professor G.N. Saibaba is currently languishing in prison in India without access to proper medical care or his wheelchair. Professor Saibaba is 90% disabled with post-polio syndrome and yet the jail authorities have continually refused to provide him with assistance in moving about, even for basic bodily functions like going to the bathroom. He suffers from a number of life-threatening ailments (including acute pancreatitis, cardiac complications, hypertension, impacted gallbladder stones, fainting spells, and more) and has lost most of the functioning of both his hands since being imprisoned. The continued negligence of jail authorities is effectively a death sentence for him during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are calling on the government of India to immediately release Professor G.N. Saibaba from prison on medical bail so that he can receive proper medical treatment and be protected from the Coronavirus outbreak.
Professor Saibaba was abducted and arrested on May 9, 2014 as he left the campus of Delhi University. Police claimed that they had found documents and correspondence allegedly proving his connections with the CPI (Maoist), a banned political party in India. However, in the court proceedings against Saibaba, they were not able to produce clear evidence of this charge or the charge that he was “waging war against the state.” Commenting on the conviction, Amnesty International stated that it “believes that the charges against G. N. Saibaba are fabricated and that his trial did not meet international fair trial standards.” Regardless of the credibility or otherwise of the trial and conviction, Professor Saibaba is entitled to proper medical care and medical bail. Now with Coronavirus spreading like wildfire through the Indian prison system, this life sentence could very well become a death-sentence.
Professor Saibaba is confined to a wheelchair as he suffers from post-polio syndrome, which inhibits the use of his legs. Despite his disability, he remains tireless social justice activist and a committed human rights defender. A recent report from Scholars at Risk noted that Saibaba “worked with activists and movements to investigate and struggle against the national and multinational corporations, which extract resources from the region at the cost of the environment and displacement of indigenous communities.” Many, including internationally acclaimed author Arundhati Roy, have speculated that Professor Saibaba was arrested because of his activism and his courageous defense of the human rights of the oppressed.
In addition, jail authorities have not permitted him to send or receive letters in his native tongue, Telugu. Even when his mother came to visit him, they insisted that he speak to her only in English despite the fact that she does not speak English. Now she is on her deathbed, battling terminal cancer, while her son languishes in jail, a political prisoner denied medical care as well as the ability to communicate with many of his loved ones.
The courts denied Saibaba’s recent application for parole during this pandemic. They claimed that his brother (with whom he would stay if released) was living in a COVID-19 containment zone; however, this is not true. What’s more, it seems likely that he is at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 in jail.
Now Professor Saibaba lies in jail, frequently falling in and out of consciousness and unable to even go to the toilet without assistance, which he is routinely denied. We are deeply disturbed by the cruelty with which the Indian government and the judicial system are treating Saibaba. As his jailers have repeatedly demonstrated their inability or unwillingness to provide proper medical care to him, and because the Coronavirus is now spreading through the Indian prison system, we the undersigned call for the immediate release of Professor G.N. Saibaba from prison.
The 80-year-old poet Varavara Rao is an eminent public intellectual and ardent civil rights activist. For the past 60 years he has shown a firm commitment to working for the oppressed. Over the decades, the Indian state has been trying to silence his voice by implicating him in many phony cases. Over the past 45 years, 25 false cases were foisted against him. He has spent about 8 years in prison while awaiting trial, but was acquitted in all prior cases. In November 2018, Varavara Rao was once again arrested, this time as part of the nation-wide crackdown of public intellectuals by the Modi government in relation to the infamous Bhima Koregaon case. He is currently imprisoned in the Taloja jail, Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra, awaiting trial. Many international scholars and acclaimed organizations such as PEN International have called for his release.
Even after 18 months of judicial custody, no charges have been filed against him. It is important to note that Maharashtra has been identified as the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak in India. Moreover, the government admitted in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case in the Mumbai High Court that one inmate recently died of COVID-19 in the Taloja jail. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Varavara Rao, who is suffering from multiple medical ailments, is in a very vulnerable medical condition.
Recently, on May 28, 2020, Varavara Rao fainted in the jail and was admitted to JJ Hospital, Mumbai, when his condition became critical. The government responded recklessly and he was sent back to jail on June 1st, 2020 after some preliminary treatment to stabilize his condition. The government did not even allow his family members to visit him in the hospital or talk to him over the phone. Given this disturbing situation, Varavara Rao’s wife filed a petition in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court to release him on bail. But, the court refused to release him. Yet, Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life to all citizens, including prisoners.
Considering G.N. Saibaba’s and Varavara Rao’s deteriorating health conditions and the outbreak of COVID-19 in prisons, we strongly believe that there is a potential danger to their lives. We appeal to you to release them immediately on bail to restore their right to live.
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