DU Professor G N Saibaba at Nagpur Jail | Photo: PTI
United Nations/Geneva: A United Nations expert on Monday described the continued detention of former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba as “shameful” and called for his release from prison.
Saibaba was arrested in 2014 and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for multiple offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a Maoist links case.
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor said Saibaba's continued detention was "shameful".
“It bears all the hallmarks of a State seeking to silence a critical voice,” Lawlor said in a statement, adding that Saibaba is a “long-standing" defender of the rights of minorities in India, including the Scheduled caste and Adivasi people.
Saibaba has suffered from a spinal disorder and polio since the age of five and uses a wheelchair, it said.
The UN human rights experts have repeatedly raised grave concerns over his prosecution, and his detention was declared arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in an opinion issued in 2021, the statement said.
As Saibaba's health has severely deteriorated in detention, he should be released, it said.
The expert is in contact with the Indian government regarding the case, said the statement, endorsed by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Gerard Quinn.
Apart from two short periods of bail, Saibaba has been held in Nagpur Central Jail since his initial arrest and detention. The condition of the former professor of English in prison is a matter of serious concern, Lawlor said.
"Prison authorities must ensure that prisoners with disabilities are not discriminated against, including by ensuring accessibility and providing reasonable accommodation,” Lawlor said.
India has previously said that authorities in the country act against violations of law strictly in accordance with established judicial processes.
PTI
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