"Defending Rights Not Crime": UN Official On Activist Teesta Setalvad
NDTV
The activist was taken into custody by the Gujarat Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad from Mumbai on Saturday evening, a day after the Supreme Court slammed those who had "kept the pot boiling" on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
An official of the United Nations has condemned the detention of activist Teesta Setalvad on Saturday, saying "defending human right is not a crime". Expressing deep concern, Mary Lawlor, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, said "Teesta is a strong voice against hatred and discrimination".
The activist was taken into custody by the Gujarat Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad from Mumbai on Saturday evening, a day after the Supreme Court slammed those who had "kept the pot boiling" on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The action came hours after Home Minister Amit Shah, in an interview with a news agency, blamed Ms Setalvad-run NGO for giving baseless information about the 2002 Gujarat riots to the police.
"I have read the judgement very carefully. The judgement clearly mentions the name of Teesta Setalvad. The NGO that was run being run by her - I don't remember the name of the NGO- had given baseless information about the riots to the police," he told ANI.
