Devi Singh
Rawat, avocat dans le District de
Ajmer dans l’état du nord de l’Inde de Rajasthana, été arbitrairement
arrêté le 31 janvier 201o et accusé d’avoir participé à une bagarre entre
des villageois et le personnel de la police à l’occasion d’élections locales
dans le village de Palra
Devi Singh Rawat
ne se trouvait pas sur les lieux de l’incident et
réside par ailleurs dans un secteur qui ne participe pas à ces
élections. Mais en janvier 2010, il
avait déposé une plainte contre la
police pour tortures. Les responsables de la police ont tenté de
le persuader de retirer sa plainte, mais Devi Singh Rawat a refusé.
Devi Singh Rawat
a été libéré sous caution le 2 février 2010 mais il reste accusé d’avoir
« volontairement causé l'altercation afin de dissuader un fonctionnaire
en service » et « d'agression afin de dissuader un fonctionnaire de ne
pas faire son devoir ». Il risque
une peine jusqu’à trois ans de prison et une amende.
Devi Singh Rawat
a été victime de mauvais traitements lors de sa détention. Lors de sa
détention, Devi Singh Rawat a été contraint d'ôter ses vêtements et a été
photographié. Plus tard, les clichés ont été distribués à la presse et
publiés.
Le 1er février la Magistrates Court
n° 5 avait
rejeté sa demande de libération sous caution, mais Devi Singh Rawat et
les 15 autres personnes arrêtées une demande de mise en liberté a été
déposé, et le 2 févier, le juge de
District et Sessions a
ordonné sa libération sous caution.
Il a été libéré
de prion Centrale de Aimer mais
les charges demeurent à son encontre. S'il est reconnu coupable, il
risque une peine jusqu’à trois ans de prison et une amende.
Devi Singh Rawat travaille
activement sur des affaires de torture en Inde. Il était engagé dans le
National Project on Prevention of Torture (NPPT) en Inde, entre 2006 et 2008.
Le 5 janvier 2010, Devi Singh Rawat avait
déposé une plainte officielle contre des responsables du poste de
police d'Adarsh Nagar devant la
Cour judiciaire No. 4, à la demande de l'expert en
matière de législation au sein du NPPT, dans le district Ajmer au
Rajasthan, pour tortures à l’encontre de deux personnes. Le 30 janvier
2010, les responsables de la police ont tenté de le persuader de retirer
sa plainte, mais Devi Singh Rawat a refusé.
Copiez la
lettre ci-dessous et envoyez-la à l'adresse suivante.
ADRESSES:
Shri Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister of India,
Prime Minister’s Office,
Room number 152,
South Block,
New Delhi,
Fax: + 91 11 2301 6857
LETTRE:
[your name here]
Your Excellency,
Mye colleague Devi Singh Rawat was arbitrarily arrested on 31
January 2010 and subsequently ill-treated whilst in detention. Devi Singh
Rawat works actively on torture cases in India. He was involved in the
National Project on Prevention of Torture (NPPT) in India between 2006
and 2008. In January 2010, on the request of the State Law Officer of the
NPPT, Devi Singh Rawat filed a case against officials from the Adarsh
Nagar Police Station in the Ajmer District of Rajasthan for the torture
of two individuals. Although the police officials tried on 30 January
2010 to persuade him to withdraw the case, Devi Singh Rawat refused to do
so.
On 31 January 2010, Devi Singh Rawat was arrested for his alleged
involvement in an incident that occurred at approximately 11am that day,
in which a fight broke out between members of the public and police
officials during Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) elections in Palra
Village. Several villagers were arrested.
However, at the time
of the confrontation between villagers and police on January 31, 2010, Mr.
Singh was not at the place of the incident. Moreover, he is resident of
an area that comes under the Ajmer Municipal Council limits, with no
stake in the above-mentioned elections.
During their
detention, Devi Singh Rawat and the other villagers
who were arrested were forced by the police to remove their clothes,
following which they were photographed. The pictures were then made
available to the press.
Despite the fact that Devi Singh Rawat was not present at the
time of the incident, he has been charged with “voluntarily causing hurt
to deter a public servant from his duty” and “assault or criminal force
to deter public servant from discharge of his duty”. First Information
Report (FIR) 19/2010 was filed in Adarsh Nagar Police Station. If he is
found guilty of these charges he could face up to three years in prison
and a fine. Devi Singh Rawat was released on bail on 2 February 2010.
While in detention, Devi Singh Rawat was forced to take his
clothes off and was photographed. The pictures were later made available
to, and published in, the press.
I believe that the arrest and ill-treatment of Devi Singh Rawat
are directly related to his human rights activities, in particular his
involvement in the torture case against police officials.
I call on you to urge the authorities in India to:
1.
Guarantee in all circumstances the
physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Devi Singh Rawat as well as
of all human rights defenders in India;
2.
Immediately
drop all charges against Devi Singh Rawat, as I believe that they relate
solely to his legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human
rights;
3.
Carry
out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the arrest,
detention and ill-treatment of Devi Singh;
4.
Put an end to all acts of harassment
- including at the judicial level - against Mr. Devi Singh Rawat as well
as against all human rights defenders in India so that they are able to
carry out their work without hindrances;
5.
Comply with all the provisions of
the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular
with its Article 1, which provides that “everyone has the right,
individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for
the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms
at the national and international levels”, as well as with Article 12.2
(“the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by
the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association
with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de
jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in
the present Declaration”);
6.
More generally, ensure in all
circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in
accordance with in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and with international and regional human rights instruments
ratified by India. *
Yours sincerely
[signature ]
bservatoire Mondial des Droits de 
