India: WHRD banned from communicating with OHCHR by Supreme Court
Event- Country
- India
- Initial Date
- Feb 17, 2011
- Event Description
Ms. Teesta Setalvad is a woman human rights defender (WHRD) from the state of Gujarat, India. The Supreme Court of India ordered Ms. Setalvad to stop communicating to the UN OHCHR regarding the proceedings investigating the Gulbarg Society Massacre, which took place on February 2002 during the Gujarat riots, causing the death of 69 people. A special investigation team (SIT) within the Gujarat police force has been established by the Supreme Court to look into the massacre. Ms. Setalvad has fought for justice for the victims of the massacre and has been involved in the proceedings investigating the massacre. On 5 October 2010, Ms. Setalvad wrote a letter to Mr. RK Raghavan, the Chairman of the SIT regarding the lack of protection for Mr. SM Vora, a senior advocate appearing for eyewitnesses and survivors of the massacre. Mr. Setalvad informed the Chairman of the SIT that Mr. Vora has received threatening phone calls. The copy of this letter was also sent to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva. On 7 October 2010, Ms. Setalvad wrote another letter to Mr. RK Raghavan regarding the lack of protection for herself since she has also been facing false allegations filed by a Mr. Rais Khan Pathan, a former employee of the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). Mr. Pathan together with SIT alleged that Ms. Setalvad tutored several victims of the massacre to give false testimonies before the Court. Again, Ms. Setalvad furnished the UN OHCHR in Geneva a copy of this letter. On 17 February 2011, an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court of India by Mr. Harish Salve drew the Court's attention to Ms. Setalvad's practice of furnishing the OHCHR in Geneva copies of her letters. The Court asked Ms. Setalvad to explain this. Ms. Kamini Jaiswal, counsel of Ms. Setalvad, said that she has the right to do so since the OHCHR can keep information on all matters pertaining to human rights from all over the world. On 3 March 2011, the Court issued the written order that Ms. Setalvad should not send any communication anymore to the OHCHR in Geneva regarding information on the proceedings surrounding the investigation of the massacre.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Not active
- Event Location
Latitude: 28.62071
Longitude: 77.23688
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
The Supreme Court of India ordered Ms. Setalvad to stop communicating to the UN OHCHR regarding the proceedings investigating the Gulbarg Society Massacre, which took place on February 2002 during the Gujarat riots, causing the death of 69 people. A special investigation team (SIT) within the Gujarat police force has been established by the Supreme Court to look into the massacre. Ms. Setalvad fights for justice for the victims of the massacre and has been involved in the proceedings investigating the massacre.