Human Rights Defender Irom Sharmila should not be rearrested
January 23rd, 2015 New Delhi
WinG India, a network of women human rights defenders welcomes the release of Irom Chanu Sharmila on the 22 January, 2015 by the court in Manipur rejecting charges of attempt to suicide. Sharmila has been on hunger strike for last 14 years and her demand is the repeal of draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA), a law in operation in the Northeast India and Jammu and Kashmir for more than five decades giving sweeping power to the armed forces including power to use lethal force.
The impact of AFSPA on women and girls have been especially devastating ranging from sexual violence, displacement and loss of support bases, enforced disappearances, extra judicial killings of family members, lack of all forms of human security and constant sense of fear and dread.
Demanding the repeal of the law, Sharmila has been on fast since November, 2000 after a massacre at Malom that killed 9 civilians in a fake encounter. She has been repeatedly arrested every year on charges of attempted suicide under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code that prescribes one-year imprisonment.
Last year on 19 August, the court set Irom Sharmila free stating that her hunger strike is a "political demand through lawful means". However, she was re-arrested three days later under the same charges of attempt to commit suicide under section 309 IPC.
WinG-India urges that the situation of August, 2014 does not recur this time and she is not arrested again. WinG-India strongly support her democratic way of protesting against AFSPA. Considering last year's Paliament's decision during winter session to decriminalise attempt to suicide, there is no legal ground to arrest Sharmila.
WinG-India stand by other international human rights organisations like Amnesty International and appeal the authorities not to arrest her again and to respect her demands by repealing AFSPA.
About WinG-India, visit www.wing-india.org
For more details , contact
Guangchunliu Gangmei
Anjuman Ara Begum
* This PR was sent to e-pao.net by Guangchunliu Gangmei (WinG India) who can be contacted at guangchunliu(dot)gangmei(at)gmail(dot)com
This Press Release was posted on January 24 2015
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