IMC-USA urges action on illegal detention and torture of Muslim youth in Hyderabad
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 09, 2007
Indian Muslim Council – USA (http://www.imc-usa.org), an advocacy group dedicated towards safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, urges action from all those who believe in due process to demand transparent conduct from Hyderabad City Police forces.
Desperate to cover up the administration’s failure in stopping terrorist incidents and under pressure to show results in the wake of the twin blasts, scores of indiscriminate arrests have apparently been made without even the semblance of a proper investigation. The police has shown itself time and again predisposed to victimize the Muslim community in the form of arrests and torture without any due diligence and formal charges.
IMC-USA urges all concerned to:
A. Immediately call and write to the authorities and demand the following:
1. Stop indiscriminate and illegal detention and torture of Muslim youth.
2. Publish list of those arrested and held in custody.
3. Produce the arrested before the magistrate as per law.
4. Take action against all police personnel mistreating families of those detained.
5. Demand the formation of a Citizen oversight committee to monitor human rights abuses by the Police.Please Call/Fax / Email (use included email form below)
(Be polite but firm)Y S Rajshekar Reddy (Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh)
Phone: +91-40-23451805 / 23456698 /23455205
+91-40-23410333 / 23410666 (Res)
Fax: +91-40-23452498 / 23454828, +91-40-23410555 (Res)K.Jana Reddy (Minister for Home)
Phone: +91-40-23457687
+91-40-23371166 (Res)
+91-9849908505 (Mobile)
Fax: +91-40-23457687Balwinder Singh (Hyderabad City Police Commissioner)
Phone: +91-40-27852432 / 23261666
Fax: +91-40-23227546
B. Forward this Action Alert to all friends and contacts and urge them to take action as well.
RELATED NEWS:
Release ‘illegally detained’ youth, say kin
http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/05/stories/2007090562140500.htm
‘50 Muslims in ‘illegal’ custody’
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2338114.cms
Families allege police harassment
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=91760
Families of youth arrested in Hyderabad threaten agitation
http://siasat.com/english/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=204403&Itemid=&cattitle=Hyderabad
Families of youth arrested in Hyderabad threaten agitation
http://in.news.yahoo.com/070904/43/6kb21.html
Detained Muslims in Hyderabad are being released
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/sep/05/detained_muslims_hyderabad_are_being_released.html
Families of youth arrested in Hyderabad threaten agitation
http://www.newkerala.com/july.php?action=fullnews&id=57533
|
1.Indiscriminate arrests and torture of the youth will only turn them towards extremism and into the hands of those that try to destabilize the nation. 2. In the name of rooting out terrorism, the police forces resort to unconstitutional and often brutal methods. But there is no shortcut to weeding out terrorism, citizens must be able to have faith in the system to deliver both justice and security and that can happen if due process and equality before law is upheld. 3. The government should form a committee comprising of noted human rights activists to monitor human rights abuses at the hands of the police so that such harassment of innocent people does not become a norm. |
