Urgent Request for Signature in Support of Lawyers Collective (India)

SBS condemns the Indian government’s attempt to gag and effectively close down civil society organisations and legal firms like the Lawyers Collective in India.

Please support!

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are writing here as the Lawyers Collective International Solidarity Campaign to urgently request your signature on the attached letter addressed to the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in support of the Lawyers Collective and its co-founders Indira Jaising and Anand Grover.

As you may already know, the Lawyers Collective has recently been the target of a politically motivated attack by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs and is at risk of losing its license to receive foreign funding. This would essentially mean the end of the organization’s work. Their license has already been suspended for 180 days.

We are calling upon the Government of India to lift the order suspending the Lawyer’s Collective’s license to receive foreign funds and to ensure the organization is provided the freedom and space to continue its work in advancing the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized sections of society, in conformity with the Constitution of India.

Please see the attached letter and follow these links for information on the allegations (made under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) and the Lawyers Collective’s response, as well a statement from UN human rights experts calling on the Government of India to repeal the law.

• Lawyers Collective response to suspension order
• UN human rights experts urge repeal of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act

We are requesting you to:

1. Send us an email on [email protected] registering your support for the letter. Please do this as soon as possible, and no later than by 6 pm (your local time) on Thursday 30th June 2016. Please give the full name (individual or organisation); occupation/field of work; and full contact details.
   We will then send the letter with signatures to Mr Modi (and copy it to the Home Minister, the Chief Justice of India, and the Indian Ambassador at the UN) the next day.
2. Forward the letter to your contacts urging them to sign. Please make sure that your contacts are aware of the deadline and the correct email to send their supporting letter.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Lawyers Collective International Solidarity Campaign

PLEASE REPLY TO: [email protected]