Johannesburg – CAGE Africa commends the South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for agreeing to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urges them to take a global lead and arrest him on his arrival in South Africa later this month. The NPA agreed to investigate Modi after the Muslim Lawyers Association made an application detailing atrocities committed by Indian security forces against Muslims in Kashmir and India under the right-wing Modi government, which rose to power on the back of inciting religious hatred. Aside from the actions of his security forces, Modi has failed to halt the killing of Muslims by Hindu mobs, the destruction of mosques and the indiscriminate firing at peaceful protestors with pellet firing shotguns by police, resulting in over 6000 people, including children, being horrifically scarred and blinded for life. The NPA said it would focus its investigation on allegations made in a recent UN report, the first ever report into human rights violations in Kashmir, which has detailed ground-breaking evidence of atrocities against Muslims in the region after seven decades of conflict. Karen Jayes, spokesperson for CAGE Africa, said: “Modi is an example of a man who has risen to prominence in a toxic global climate which has facilitated the rise of right-wing populism on the back of religious hatred. His hatred for Muslims is manifest through his policies, which harness ‘War on Terror’ narratives to secure power, while wreaking terror in society.” “Both India and Pakistan have co-opted the language and legislation of the ‘War on Terror’ to criminalise social justice movements and organisations that seek independence in Kashmir, using claims of “radicalisation”, “terrorism” and “extremism” as a cover for conducting forced disappearances, killings, mass detention and torture. Such actions must be stopped and negotiations with armed groups begun.” “The allegations speak for themselves and South Africa must take the step that no other investigating body in the world has had the courage to do. It simply must fulfil its obligations under the Rome Statute and arrest Modi on his arrival for the BRICS summit in Johannesburg this month, so that he can be appropriately brought to justice.” [Ends]
Press enquiries: press@cageuk.org
Image courtesy of Flickr/Chris Eason
Johannesburg – CAGE Africa commends the South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for agreeing to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urges them to take a global lead and arrest him on his arrival in South Africa later this month.
The NPA agreed to investigate Modi after the Muslim Lawyers Association made an <a href="http://www.mlajhb.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Modi-Docket-MLA.pdf">application</a> detailing atrocities committed by Indian security forces against Muslims in Kashmir and India under the right-wing Modi government, which rose to power on the back of <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/indian-election-narendra-modi-bjp-donald-trump-far-right-a7635086.html">inciting religious hatred</a>.
Aside from the actions of his security forces, Modi has failed to halt the killing of Muslims by Hindu mobs, the destruction of mosques and the indiscriminate firing at peaceful protestors with pellet firing shotguns by police, resulting in over 6000 people, including children, being <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/09/kashmir-victim-life-india-pellets-blinded-170929102239932.html">horrifically scarred and blinded for life</a>.
The NPA said it would focus its investigation on allegations made in a <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx">recent UN report</a>, the first ever report into human rights violations in Kashmir, which has detailed ground-breaking evidence of atrocities against Muslims in the region after seven decades of conflict.
<strong>Karen Jayes, spokesperson for CAGE Africa, said: </strong>
“Modi is an example of a man who has risen to prominence in a toxic global climate which has facilitated the rise of right-wing populism on the back of religious hatred. His hatred for Muslims is manifest through his policies, which harness ‘War on Terror’ narratives to secure power, while wreaking terror in society.”
“Both India and Pakistan have co-opted the language and legislation of the ‘War on Terror’ to criminalise social justice movements and organisations that seek independence in Kashmir, using claims of “radicalisation”, “terrorism” and “extremism” as a cover for conducting forced disappearances, killings, mass detention and torture. Such actions must be stopped and negotiations with armed groups begun.”
“The allegations speak for themselves and South Africa must take the step that no other investigating body in the world has had the courage to do. It simply must fulfil its obligations under the Rome Statute and arrest Modi on his arrival for the BRICS summit in Johannesburg this month, so that he can be appropriately brought to justice.”
[Ends]
<blockquote><strong>Press enquiries:</strong>
press@cageuk.org
</blockquote>
<em>Image courtesy of Flickr/<a href="https://flickr.com/photos/mister-e/3050826409/in/photolist-5DAhpk-FyeNFJ-271pnMo-hKhzSC-nNEcv3-fhjPGn-hKjGfG-21JTHDZ-E38zk4-o5R6XV-o7VBjn-e69xUe-2cjYvd9-87J3K8-wAPYAP-8wshgC-2ktVoqd-VQUXiJ-FyeNfy-7uhFSB-ffiab7-E38zpT-GYPsW9-8hcLCd-ffia81-eZmpra-6AwtZf-WyX7rQ-89rMjn-5DC7GL-JKiwaa-p7hMYe-7Sk2Ad-4QjwbT-4X4u6z-ceZafm-UMNeBC-8bk4hJ-xecBha-89KNj5-wh8mT6-i7aYFE-SJbGfb-2hL9Zw2-312jtt-2jganhw-6fXnFj-JXfsvE-Bzwc9-Ry5hLF">Chris Eason</a></em>
