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In the wake of the former chief of Amnesty International India Aakar Patel being stopped from flying out of the country, Amnesty International has called for ‘immediate revocation’ of what it said was an ‘arbitrary travel ban’ imposed on the human rights activist, according to Hindustan Times report.
The global human rights watchdog Amnesty International said in a statement, quoting Kyle Ward, its deputy secretary general said, “denying Aakar's right to freedom of movement to prevent him from exercising his freedom of expression is an alarming manifestation of the Indian government's mounting crackdown on human rights defenders and activists. Operating in a climate of harassment, intimidation, interference and constant surveillance is unacceptable, but has unfortunately become routine for human rights activists in India."
This comes following the closing of Amnesty International India operations in September 2020 due to what it described as a ‘witch-hunt’ by the Government of India, also noted that 'imposition of travel bans on human rights defenders in the country is not new.' Amnesty India is being investigated for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010.
Aakar Patel on Wednesday took to Twitter to inform that he was to board a US-bound flight from Bengaluru but was not allowed to do so, adding that an officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) called to inform him this is because his name is on a Look-Out Circular due to a case filed against Amnesty International India.
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