[Reader-list] Legal Action To Arrest Narendra Modi For Torture

[Harsh Kapoor]

PRESS RELEASE
Date: 21 August 2003, 17.30PM
From: Awaaz - South Asia Watch (www.awaazsaw.org)

LEGAL ACTION TO ARREST NARENDRA MODI FOR TORTURE

Lawyers pursing a warrant for the arrest of Chief Minister of Gujarat,
Narenda Modi under Article 1 of the International Convention Against Torture
and Section 134 of the UK Criminal Justice Act of 1988 have been allowed a
period of two weeks to collect relevant information and evidence that
relates to direct complicity between Modi and the killings of Muslim
citizens of India which took place after February 27 2002.

Yesterday, the complainant in the case was informed that Narendra Modi would
be represented by lawyers appointed by the Government of India, though the
latter is not party to the action. Representatives of the Indian High
Commission in the UK also attended the hearings yesterday.

Awaaz is supporting an action in which the complainant is Suresh Grover,
represented by civil rights lawyer Imran Khan.

The process of laying down criminal charges against Narendra Modi has begun.
It is intended to show that the Chief Minister, members of his cabinet, and
those under his authority by act or omission were instrumental in the
pogroms that engulfed the state of Gujarat and in which 2,000 Muslims were
killed and 200,000 displaced.

This is the start of an important attempt outside India to bring to justice
the perpetrators of the Gujarat pogroms in 2002. Similar opportunities will
arise if Narendra Modi is travelling in other European cities, the US,
Canada, Australia and elsewhere. The action started by supporters of Awaaz
will not prevent others to take, nor will it affect, similar or related
actions in other parts of the world. Awaaz strongly encourages others to
begin to collect information and evidence in preparation for the possibility
that Modi comes to their part of the world.

Awaaz will continue supporting this legal action and strongly encourages
other organisations to take action regarding the complicity of the State of
Gujarat in the 2002 pogroms. If you have any directly relevant information
or evidence, please send, in strictest confidence, to:

contact at awaazsaw.org

or

imrank at imrankhanandpartners.co.uk
tel: +44 (0)207 636 6314
fax: +44 (0)207 636 6315


Updates will be posted regularly at www.awaazsaw.org