ATIK | Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe | AHM-ATIK News Center
ILPS | 30 – 09 – 2009 | We, the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, vigorously condemn the abduction, torture and continued illegal detention of Indian political leader Kobad Ghandy. We demand his immediate release from prison as a matter of justice because of the gross violations of his fundamental human rights.
Since his youth, Kobad Ghandy has resolutely and militantly upheld, defended and promoted the Indian people’s revolutionary struggle for national liberation and democracy against imperialism and the Indian exploiting classes. He is a steadfast advocate of the historic mission of the working class to build socialism and the international solidarity of peoples against imperialism.
Whatever are his ideological and political ideas, he is guaranteed by the International Bill of Rights and by the bill of rights in the Indian constitution well-defined inviolable human rights, particularly civil and political rights, against illegal arrest and detention and against all forms of torture. The gross violations of his fundamental human rights justify his immediate release.
Contrary to the claims of the police that he was arrested on 21 September, Kobad Ghandy was abducted on 17 September, kept under illegal detention for four days and tortured for three days and three nights in the course of interrogation in a safehouse. Moreover, he was deprived of his medicine and medical treatment for life-threatening health problems.
We support the campaign of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) in spreading information about the circumstances of Kobad Ghandy’s abduction and torture, in preventing further harm to his person and in seeking his immediate release. We join the CRPP in making the following urgent demands:
- Provide immediate medical care to Kobad Ghandy for all his health problems including kidney, cardiac and prostate cancer.
- Allow him the prescribed diet and safe/boiled water, as provided in the hospitals.
- Stop all attempts to transfer him to other states under false charges which will endanger his life.
- Allow a team of specialist doctors to immediately examine and continuously monitor his health condition.
- Stop all attempts to put him under the illegal narco-analysis which would endanger his life.
- Shift him to a cell which is not over crowded.
- Provide him with reading and writing materials.
- Recognize his status as Political Prisoner.
We call on all member-organizations and allies of the ILPS throughout the world to demand not only the improvement of the conditions of Kobad Ghandy’s imprisonment but most importantly his immediate release as a matter of justice because of the gross violations of his fundamental human rights.
By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairperson, ILPS International Coordinating Committee
