U.S. asks all governments to respect the role of human rights activistsThe Biden administration reacted to the death of Father Stan Swamy in custody in India and called on all governments to respect the role of human rights activists. “We are saddened by the death of Father Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest & tribal rights activist, who died in Indian custody under charges of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Stan Swamy was jailed on false charges, says top U.N. officialJust over an hour before the State Department’s tweet, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) tweeted a statement, condemning the death of the priest. “USCIRF condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate neglect and targeting by the government of India that led to the death of Father #StanSwamy, an 84-year-old Jesuit priest and longtime human rights defender,” it said. In its statement, the commission called on the U.S. government to hold the Government of India accountable and raise concerns around religious freedom in the India-U.S. bilateral relationship.

Source: The Hindu July 07, 2021 22:51 UTC