Kerala Muslim student faces life in jail for not standing during India s National Anthem Salman was arrested after he and his friends refused to stand up when a music video of the national anthem was played at a theatre before the screening of a movie on August 18. A 25-year-old philosophy student in Kerala is facing life imprisonment after he refused to stand up during the national anthem at a theatre. The student, Salman M, 25, has been charged with sedition as well as under section 66A under the Information Technology Act for allegedly publishing abusive social media posts about Independence Day on August 15. Salman, who was arrested on August 20 in Thiruvananthapuram, was denied bail by a court for the second time on September 6. He has been accused of sedition for allegedly sitting and hooting when the anthem was played at the theatre. Salman was arrested after he and his friends refused to stand up when a music video of the national anthem was played at a theatre before the screening of a movie on August 18. This led to protests by a segment of the audience and a heated argument followed after which a complaint was filed against Salman and his friends. Amnesty International India has criticised Salmans arrest and possible sentencing. A criminal charge for such conduct, even if some might regard it as offensive, is completely unwarranted, said Shailesh Rai, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India. Nobody should have to go to prison merely because they are accused of causing offense. The Constitution of India and international law recognize the right to freedom of expression, and this right extends to speech that offends or disturbs. Authorities must respect this fundamental right, not seek to curb it. Rai further said that many Indian laws needed to be updated or repealed in keeping with the changing times. The case against Salman M. should be dropped and he must be released. Indian laws on sedition and online free speech do not meet international human rights standards on freedom of expression. These laws must be urgently repealed.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:18:06 +0000
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