Awareness / interactive meeting with foreign National prisoners held
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 17 2022:
An awareness cum interactive meeting with foreign national prisoners was held today at Central Jail, Sajiwa.
The programme was chaired by Ojesh Mutum, Member Secretary, Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA) along with Sorokhaibam Sadananda, Additional Member Secretary, MASLSA, visiting team consisting of representatives from Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Madhurima Dhanuka and Vatsala Khandelwal, Appointed Special Legal Aid Counsel for Foreign Nationals, Akham Romilla, Panel Advocate, MASLSA and Para-Legal Volunteers of Jail Legal Aid Clinic, Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa, said a press release by MASLSA.
As per the latest data received from the Jail, there are a total of 31 foreign national prisoners, out of which 24 are UTPs and 7 are convicts.
With special emphasis being given to them, the crux of today's programme is to encourage and provide effective legal aid to these foreign national prisoners currently housed in Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa.
A one on one interaction was held between the prisoners and the representatives from Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and discussed the issues and problems of effective legal representation, consular access and access to family and friends, matters relating to repatriation, deportation etc., faced by them so as to work out ways and strategies to deal with such issues in collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders, added the press release.