G.N. Saibaba, an academic and activist, was convicted of belonging to a banned Maoist group in a trial that allegedly did not meet international fair trial standards and used fabricated evidence. Saibaba suffers from numerous medical conditions as well: acute pancreatitis, hypertension and a heart condition. He is wheelchair bound as a result of post-polio paralysis and is in danger of losing his left hand. He reports he is not receiving adequate medical care and his condition has deteriorated over the past year.
Rajnath Singh
Minister of Home Affairs
17 Akbar Road
New Delhi, India 110001
Fax: +91 11 2301 4184
Email: 17akbarroad@gmail.com
Dear Minister Singh:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We write to express our grave concern for our colleague G. N. Saibaba, an academic and activist who is being held in Nagpur Central Jail and is being denied necessary medical treatment. G. N. Saibaba has post-polio paralysis and is wheelchair-bound. He, also, suffers from acute pancreatitis, hypertension, and a heart condition. These conditions have worsened since his conviction a year ago, as a result of a continuing failure to provide him with adequate medical care. In a recent communication, he wrote that, without required therapies, he is in imminent danger of losing his left hand.
G. N. Saibaba was convicted of belonging to a banned Maoist political group in a trial that reportedly did not meet international fair trial standards and seems to have allegedly involved fabricated evidence. We urge that he be released immediately – both to receive adequate medical treatment and to receive a fair trial.
India is a state party to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and a signatory to the U.N. Convention Against Torture, both of which absolutely prohibit the kind of treatment to which G. N. Saibaba is being subjected. Further, India has signed the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which obligates your country to respect the rights of all persons with disabilities.
The widely acknowledged Nelson Mandela Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners require that adequate healthcare be provided without discrimination, and that prisoners with special needs be transferred to specialized institutions.
In light of these multiple human rights requirements, we urge that G. N. Saibaba, be released immediately and be given access to medical treatment necessary to maintain his health and preserve his dignity, as well as regular access to family and legal representation.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter, and we look forward to receiving your response.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
cc.:
Ambassador H.E. Navtej Sarna
Embassy of India
2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: 1 202 939 7000 | Fax: 1 202 265 4351
Email: navtej.sarna@gmail.com