The Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) of the Society of Jesus recently released a statement on the rejection of the bail application of Fr Stan Swamy SJ, the 83-year old Jesuit arrested on 8 October 2020 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
The special court of the National Investigation Agency denied Fr Stan’s bail application on 22 March 2021, affirming the court’s prima facie charges based on prosecution documents that Fr Stan “hatched a serious conspiracy, along with the members of banned organization, to create unrest in the entire country and to overpower the government, politically and by using muscle power” in violation of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
However, Fr Stan’s work is in the defense of adivasis (Indigenous Peoples) and other deprived communities whose fundamental rights are denied and systematically trampled upon.
The Society of Jesus stands united with Fr Stan and other human rights defenders and commit to continue national and international efforts to bring truth and justice to light and advocate for the rights of vulnerable people in a peaceful, non-violent way, and appeals to governments, international bodies, and civil society groups and organizations to call on the Indian State to repeal UAPA and immediately release Fr Stan and all other human rights defenders.
To read the full statement, please go to SJES.
