Business Standard

Amnesty International halts India operations citing govt witch-hunt

Home ministry hits back, says human rights not an excuse for defying law

Amnesty
Premium

Amnesty International India headquarters in Bengaluru Photo: PTI

Ruchika ChitravanshiShrimi Choudhary New Delhi
Amnesty International on Tuesday halted its work in India days after its bank accounts were frozen by the government in what the organisation called a witch-hunt of human rights organisations.

Amnesty International was compelled to let go of staff and pause all ongoing campaigns and research work after it came to know about the freezing on September 10. Avinash Kumar, executive director of Amnesty International India, said the government crackdown over the past two years was not accidental and was akin to freezing dissent.

“The constant harassment by government agencies, including the ED, is a result of our unequivocal calls for transparency

What you get on BS Premium?

  • Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.
  • Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.
  • Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.
  • Preferential invites to Business Standard events.
  • Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.
VIEW ALL FAQs

Need More Information - write to us at assist@bsmail.in