Coming just days after the passing of bill to amend Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010 that seeks to bring transparency and prevent misuse of the funds, ‘human rights’ NGO Amnesty International has said that it is downing its shutters in India citing ‘continued crackdown’ and ‘witch hunt’.
In its statement, it said that the ‘complete freezing of Amnesty International India’s bank accounts by the Government of India has brought the organization’s work to a grinding halt’ resulting in it being compelled to lay off its staff and stop ongoing research works and campaigns.
“The continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last two years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is not accidental. The constant harassment by government agencies including the Enforcement Directorate is a result of our unequivocal calls for transparency in the government, more recently for accountability of the Delhi police and the Government of India regarding the grave human rights violations in Delhi riots and Jammu & Kashmir. For a movement that has done nothing but raise its voices against injustice, this latest attack is akin to freezing dissent,” said Avinash Kumar, Executive Director of Amnesty International India.
It said that the it came to know of the freezing of accounts on September 10.
Earlier it was reported that Amnesty International was routing its foreign finances through commercial routes in an attempt to evade FCRA provisions. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had said that Amnesty International (UK) invested approimately ₹10 crore as FDI in M/s Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd, Bangalore by subscribing to the Debentures.
However, in its statement Amnesty International India has said that the government is portraying the lawful fundraising model as money-laundering and added that overbroad legal framework is maliciously activated. It said that the ‘attacks on Amnesty International India and other outspoken human rights organizations, activists and human rights defenders was only an extension of the repressive policies and sustained assault by the government ‘on those who speak truth to power’.