Activists Arrest

British far-right figure's allies rally amid 'anti-racism' counter-protest

Thousands of supporters of jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson marched through London on Saturday as anti-racism demonstrators mounted a nearby counter-protest. The so-called Unite the Kingdom march planned by Robinson and supposed to feature him as speaker led to calls for his freedom after his arrest Friday on a warrant for contempt of court. We want Tommy out," the crowd of mostly white men chanted. The sea of marchers toted Union and England flags and some waved Make America Great banners as they gathered near a fenced-off statute of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the square opposite the Houses of Parliament. The march was countered by thousands of people organized by the group Stand Up to Racism who held signs saying Refugees welcome and Oppose Tommy Robinson. Robinson, 41, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is the founder of the nationalist and anti-Islamist English Defense League and remains one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain.

HK activist Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to sedition, collusion charges

Prominent activist and publisher Jimmy Lai on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to three charges of sedition and collusion with foreign countries in a landmark national security trial in Hong Kong. Lai, a media tycoon who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, faces one count of conspiring to print seditious publications to incite hatred against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, as well as two counts of collusion with foreign countries to call for sanctions and other hostile actions against China and Hong Kong. Flanked by three prison officers, Lai formally pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him, shortly after the court rejected a last-ditch attempt by his counsel to throw out a sedition charge against him. The court began hearing opening statements from the prosecution on Tuesday. Dressed in a navy blazer and a white shirt, Lai smiled and waved at his family members as he entered the courtroom ahead of the start of the court session. Lai, 76, was arrested during the .

Pak police free 290 Baloch activists arrested while protesting killings

Pakistani police on Monday freed 290 Baloch activists who were arrested when they attempted to hold a protest last week in the capital, Islamabad. Their release came days after protest organizers gave authorities a deadline to release all those detained. The activists had travelled 1,600 kilometers (about 1,000 miles) on Thursday from Turbat, a town in Baluchistan province, to protest forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the militancy-ravaged southwest. The protesters were mostly women and some had brought along their children, aged 7-12, when security forces used batons and water canons to disperse and arrest them. They wanted to draw attention to the case of 24-year-old Balaach Mola Bakhsh, who died in November while in police custody in Baluchistan. Authorities said he was killed after militants ambushed the police vehicle transporting him. Police said Bakhsh was carrying explosives when he was arrested. His family insists he is innocent, demanding justice for hi

National security trial opens in Hong Kong for activist publisher Jimmy Lai

A landmark national security trial opened Monday in Hong Kong for prominent activist publisher Jimmy Lai, who faces a possible life sentence if convicted under a law imposed by Beijing to crush dissidents. Lai, 76, was arrested in August 2020 during a crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement under the sweeping national security law enacted following huge protests four years ago. He is charged with colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to put out seditious publications. The closely watched case tied to the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily that Lai founded is widely seen as a trial of press freedom and a test for judicial independence in the Asian financial hub. China promised that the former British colony could retain its Western-style civil liberties for 50 years after returning to Chinese rule in 1997. But in recent years, the Hong Kong government has severely limited free speech and assembly and virtually .

Here's why Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in London

Greta Thunberg's latest arrest adds to a series of trouble the 20-year-old activist is facing with the law. Here is everything you need to know about Thunberg's activism, critique, and arrests

Elgar Parishad case: SC adjourns hearing on activist Jyoti Jagtap's plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned for four weeks a plea moved by activist Jyoti Jagtap, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, challenging a Bombay High Court order denying her bail. Jagtap has moved the apex court challenging the October 17, 2022 order of the high court that refused to grant her bail, saying the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) case against her was "prima facie true" and that she was part of a "larger conspiracy" hatched by the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit. A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi deferred the matter after advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing in the court on behalf of Jagtap, sought time to file a rejoinder to an NIA affidavit. The top court granted three weeks to Jagtap to file her rejoinder. On July 28, a bench headed by Justice Bose granted bail to activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, noting that they were in custody for five years. The top court had, on May 4, sought

Arrest of BJP leaders in Jamshedpur 'politically motivated': Arjun Munda

Union minister Arjun Munda on Friday claimed the arrest of BJP leaders in connection with the recent violence in Jamshedpur was "politically motivated", while accusing the local administration of turning a "small incident into an unpleasant one". Munda, the tribal affairs minister, during the day visited the Ghaghidih Central Jail here and met BJP leaders Abhay Singh, former East Singhbhum district president and Sudhansu Ojha, vice-president of the district committee. The arrest of BJP leaders and workers is politically motivated. We strongly condemn such incidents, but the approach of the administration should have been impartial and not under any pressure, Munda told reporters. There are several people among the arrested, who had nothing to do with the incident, and were still apprehended from various places under political pressure, he alleged. A total of 70 people, including two BJP leaders, have been arrested in connection with the violence over alleged desecration of a religi

Supreme Court allows house arrest request of activist Gautam Navlakha

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed jailed activist Gautam Navlakha's request for house arrest, saying prima facie there is no reason to reject his medical report. A bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy said the house arrest order should be implemented within 48 hours. The bench also directed Navlakha to deposit Rs 2.4 lakh, an estimated amount which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) claims as expense for making available police personnel. It also said that Navlakha will not be allowed to use a computer and internet during his month-long house arrest. The 70-year-old activist is in jail in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case.

Popular Front of India's activist arrested in UP's Mau by ATS squad, police

An activist of the Popular Front of India was arrested by a team of Anti Terrorist Squad and local police here on Monday, officials said. Nasir Kamal, a resident of the city's Prema Rai locality who was active worker of the organisation, was arrested, Additional Superintendent of Police, Tribhuvan Nath Tripathi said. He was later produced in a court which sent him to 14 days judicial custody. During interrogation, Kamal told the police that he had attended several meetings of PFI and knew a number of people who had been arrested by the ATS earlier. The Centre has banned PFI for five years under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

5 ex-PFI activists booked under UAPA for involvement in unlawful activities

A case has been registered against five activists of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) for their alleged involvement in unlawful activities after the raids conducted in their premises on October 13. The accused are from Jokatte, Kasba Bengre, Ullal, Kinya and Adyar, police sources said. The activists were charged under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and various sections of the IPC. The accused are being questioned, they said.

Activist Rona Wilson's phone infected with Pegasus spyware: Analysis

Activist Rona Wilson's smartphone was infiltrated using NSO Group's Pegasus spyware a year before his arrest in the Elgar Parishad case, according to new forensic analysis.

Activists hail Sudha Bharadwaj's release, seek relief for co-accused

Some prominent activists on Thursday hailed the release of Sudha Bharadwaj from jail and demanded that the other accused arrested in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case too be set free.

Story in Numbers: Pending cases under UAPA on the rise, shows data

Each year (between 2014 and 2020), on an average, 985 cases under the UAPA were registered and the number of pending cases rose by 14.38% every year

Funeral service for activist Stan Swamy held at Mumbai church

Swamy died in a private hospital while waiting for medical bail in the Elgar Parishad case

Activist Stan Swamy passes away at 84 in hospital waiting for bail

The Jesuit priest, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, died at a Mumbai hospital on Monday afternoon

Political party leaders in Kerala condole death of activist Stan Swamy

Swamy was an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case

Delhi riots: SC refuses to stay bail granted to 3 student activists

Delhi HC verdict granting bail to 3 student activists will not be used by others in securing same relief as precedent, says SC

Delhi HC's decision to grant bail to Natasha Narwal, others welcomed

Student activists and bodies on Tuesday welcomed a Delhi HC order granting bail to women's collective Pinjra Tod members Devanagana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were arrested under the stringent UAPA in connection with a case related to the riots in the national capital last year. They also demanded that all political prisoners arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) be released. Kalita and Narwal, who are students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and Tanha were arrested in May last year. A bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup Jairam Bhambhani set aside trial court orders denying bail to the three and allowed their appeals by admitting them to regular bail. Reacting to the court order, Safoora Zargar, a Jamia Millia Islamia scholar and co-accused in the UAPA case, said it was one of the happiest days of her life. "Bail to Devangana, Natasha & Asif in UAPA case. One of the happiest days of my life.

'Toolkit' case: Disha Ravi reaches Delhi Police Cyber Cell office

Climate activist Disha Ravi reached the office of the Delhi Police Cyber Cell on Tuesday

Toolkit case: Delhi Police seeks 5-day custody of activist Disha Ravi

The Delhi Police sought the custody of climate activist Disha Ravi for five more days in connection with the 'Toolkit' case