100 Harvard affiliates express solidarity with lawyer Shadan Farasat over alleged police manhandling
Around 100 Harvard University alumni, students, faculty members and staff have condemned the police action against protesters in India on October 10, describing it as an “unprecedented siege of Delhi by police and paramilitary forces”.
In a statement, the signatories expressed solidarity with Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat (HLS 2009), alleging that he was detained and manhandled by police while attempting to prevent the “illegal detention of a peaceful protestor”.
“If lawyers are prevented from providing legal aid, then the entire system of law and order breaks down,” the statement said.
The statement comes amid concerns over the detention of demonstrators, lawyers, journalists and civil society members during protests in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The UN Human Rights Office on October 10 also expressed concern over reports of mass detentions before and during the demonstrations.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called on Indian authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly was fully respected, stressing that restrictions on peaceful protests must meet strict tests of necessity and proportionality. He urged law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained.
The office also urged authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue on the concerns raised by protesters.
India rejected the UN office’s remarks, describing them as misplaced and an unwarranted interference in the country’s internal affairs.
In a post on X, India’s mission in Geneva said the right to peaceful assembly was guaranteed by the Constitution and safeguarded by institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media. It added that the right was subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order, as in other democracies, and that authorities acted in accordance with the law.
The mission said courts remained available to citizens seeking redressal of grievances and urged the UN office to give comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, in keeping with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity.
According to reports, around 7,000 people were detained during the protests, though the final number remains unclear. Delhi Police have not publicly commented on the detentions.
The protest was called by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar. Police had denied permission for the gathering and imposed prohibitory orders in the New Delhi district. Metro stations were closed and mobile internet services were suspended in parts of central Delhi.
