Lawyers' association protests; demands release of political prisoners

Bengaluru: Demanding the release of all political prisoners and scrapping of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), and the National Security Act (NSA), the All India Lawyers' Association for Justice staged a demonstration here on Wednesday, The News Minute (TNM) reported.

Lawyers' association also demanded immediate quality medical care for all the said prisoners, including academician Vernon Gonsalves, former professor GN Saibaba and human rights activist Gautam Navlakha.

Activist and advocate Maitreyi Krishnan told the gathering that the protesting sites in cities are declining day by day, and it is against the Constitution. The right to dissent is the most fundamental right in a democracy, and the same has been stolen away from them, she said.

She said that not allowing the right to dissent is against the Constitution and the aspirations of the freedom fighters. Gandhiji or Ambedkar would not have imagined that one would not have the right to protest after 75 years of Independence, Krishnan said.

The lawyers criticised the misuse of the mentioned three laws and opined that the same should have been invoked against the murderers of prominent activists.

Activist Khizar Alam said that the laws would have been useful if they were used correctly instead of curbing dissent. "UAPA should have been slapped against those who killed Kalburgi, Gauri Lankesh, Justice Loya, and Hemant Karkare," TNM quoted Alam.

Another activist Nasreen said that the release of the 14 convicts- who committed murder and raped Bilkis Bano during the Godra riots- on Independence Day was shocking.

Further, the association proposed an event in Delhi, inviting family, friends, and comrades of political prisoners and their lawyers to share about having close ones in prison and fighting for their release.