Rights group Amnesty halts India operations, says facing witch-hunt

NEW DELHI  - Human rights group Amnesty International stopped its work in India on Tuesday (Sept 29) saying the government had frozen its bank accounts in the latest action against it for speaking out about rights violations.  The group said it had laid off staff after facing a crackdown over the past two years over allegations of financial wrongdoing that it said were baseless.  “This is latest in the incessant witch-hunt of human rights organisations by the government of India over unfounded and motivated allegations,” Amnesty said in a statement.  Its bank accounts were frozen on Sept 10, it said.   Amnesty had highlighted rights violations in recent months in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region as well as what it said was a lack of police accountability during riots in Delhi in February, and the government had sought to punish it, it said.  The interior ministry said human rights were no excuse for breaking the law, and that Amnesty had channelled large amounts of money to four entities in India in contravention of laws governing foreign financing. It did not name the organisations.

from Asia
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