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New Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Centre hiding data on unfilled posts meant for SC/STs, OBCs: RTI activist
BENGALURU: Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak, has claimed that the the Union government is deliberately attempting to conceal critical data on unfilled reserved posts for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Against the backdrop of a national debate on caste-based equity, Nayak points to systemic failures in transparency and inclusivity within the country's bureaucracy. Nayak posed RTI queries based on a December 2024 Parliamentary committee report on the welfare of SC/STs, which criticised the government for persistent backlog in vacancies and the near-total absence of SC/ST representation in decision-making roles across public sector undertakings (PSUs), ministries and banks. The report rejected claims of a "lack of suitable candidates" as baseless, attributing the issue to systemic exclusion and urging immediate corrective measures. Seeking data on backlog vacancies and the appointment of liaison officers to enforce reservation policies, Nayak had filed RTI requests with various departments. But central public information officers (CPIOs) gave him irrelevant recruitment statistics from earlier years and failed to address his specific queries, he said. "This is either a deliberate attempt to obscure politically sensitive data or evidence of a dysfunctional tracking system," Nayak said.
LeMonde
02-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Weakened by war with Israel, the Iranian regime ramps up repression
After 12 days of war, Iran has begun a crackdown on presumed "collaborators." Ever since the ceasefire with Israel took effect on June 24, arrests have multiplied across the country, targeting human rights activists, social media users accused of "online propaganda," Afghan migrants and followers of the Baha'i faith, which the Iranian regime considers a "misguided sect." According to the New York-based NGO Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), the aim has been "to stamp out any trace of dissent and reassert (...) control." Weakened abroad, the Islamic Republic has intensified repression at home. Recently, Iranian media have reported that there were more than 700 arrests nationwide during the 12 days of war, particularly in the provinces of Kermanshah, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Fars and Lorestan. The actual number is likely higher – the CHRI mentioned several hundred additional arrests in Tehran. Pressure was also especially high in Kurdish cities, particularly smaller ones, where arrests have continued. The charge is always the same: "collaboration with the Zionist regime" – the official term for Israel.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Nowhere to escape': Israel strike intensifies distress in notorious Iran jail
Alarm has intensified over the welfare of inmates after an Israeli strike on Evin prison in Tehran, one of Iran's most notorious penal complexes which haunts prisoners long after they are released. Rights groups say that Evin, which is believed to have the capacity for hundreds of inmates, is home to dozens of "political prisoners" innocent of any crime, including foreigners, and women who are kept in a separate wing. Israel targeted the prison in an air strike on Monday, before an American call for a ceasefire, destroying not just the front entrance but also inner parts of the complex, according to activists who had contact with prisoners, and also killing several people, according to the Iranian judiciary. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hailed the strike by posting "long live freedom!" while former UK premier Boris Johnson said it was "great to see that Israel has blown the doors off Evin prison". But rights groups accused Israel of causing only additional anguish to detainees who are already deeply distressed and at least some of whom have been relocated to other prisons. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said the strike caused severe damage to critical areas including the women's section, ward 8, believed to house political prisoners, the infirmary and the prosecutor's office. Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who was held in the prison until being allowed temporary leave for medical reasons last year, said that as a result of the strike the infirmary was destroyed and prisoners were under intensified security conditions or relocated. "Families are filled with fear and anxiety," she said in a statement. - 'Distressed prisoners' - The judiciary's Mizan Online website confirmed that prisoners had been transferred to other facilities within Tehran province but did not specify how many inmates were moved. Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said multiple people were killed and wounded in the strike, "including administrative and judicial staff, visiting civilians, family members of inmates and the inmates themselves". Mohammadi expressed concern that among those killed were family members of inmates who had visited the prosecutor's office at the prison -- located close to the entrance –- seeking information about their loved ones' cases. The Norway-based Hengaw rights group said hours after the attack Evin prisoners were transferred by bus to other prisons in the region and the women inmates to Qarchak prison outside Tehran which has a dire reputation for its conditions. Amnesty International said it was "extremely distressed" by the attack on the prison "where hundreds of prisoners, including political dissidents and human rights defenders" are held. "Prison security forces must not use force or firearms against distressed prisoners," it said. The CHRI published a letter signed by inmates -- whose names were withheld for their safety -- accusing the Evin authorities of "creating a highly repressive atmosphere" rather than helping prisoners during the strikes. "We had nowhere to escape during the bombing, nor have we had any refuge from the organised violence that has crushed our lives and dignity for years," they said, adding several prisoners had been injured as they rushed downstairs in search of safety. - 'Huge complex' - British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held in Evin for several years, wrote in Britain's Guardian newspaper she vehemently opposed the bombing of the prison by Israel. "So bringing down those gates might have seemed like a symbolic act for faraway media. But it did not feel like it made anyone safe inside," she said. Built in 1972 under the reign of the former shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Evin has long been a looming presence, looking down on Tehran from its northern limits in the foothills of the Alborz mountains. In October 2022, at the height of nationwide protests against the authorities, Evin was hit by a fire, with reports of gunshots, that left at least eight inmates dead. The circumstances of the blaze remain murky. "It's a huge complex," said Taghi Rahmani, husband of Narges Mohammadi, now living in exile in France, who spent time in this prison between 1986 and 1994, and in 2010-2011, before fleeing Iran. He pointed in particular to section 209 -- run by the intelligence ministry for political prisoners -- as a "prison within a prison". Louis Arnaud, a Frenchman held for two years in Evin until his release last year, said he feared for his former cellmates. "In these very dark days, we don't know what could happen in this building." cf-sjw/ekf/yad
France 24
24-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
'Nowhere to escape': Israel strike intensifies distress in notorious Iran jail
Rights groups say that Evin, which is believed to have the capacity for hundreds of inmates, is home to dozens of "political prisoners" innocent of any crime, including foreigners, and women who are kept in a separate wing. Israel targeted the prison in an air strike on Monday, before an American call for a ceasefire, destroying not just the front entrance but also inner parts of the complex, according to activists who had contact with prisoners, and also killing several people, according to the Iranian judiciary. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hailed the strike by posting "long live freedom!" while former UK premier Boris Johnson said it was "great to see that Israel has blown the doors off Evin prison". But rights groups accused Israel of causing only additional anguish to detainees who are already deeply distressed and at least some of whom have been relocated to other prisons. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said the strike caused severe damage to critical areas including the women's section, ward 8, believed to house political prisoners, the infirmary and the prosecutor's office. Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who was held in the prison until being allowed temporary leave for medical reasons last year, said that as a result of the strike the infirmary was destroyed and prisoners were under intensified security conditions or relocated. "Families are filled with fear and anxiety," she said in a statement. 'Distressed prisoners' The judiciary's Mizan Online website confirmed that prisoners had been transferred to other facilities within Tehran province but did not specify how many inmates were moved. Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said multiple people were killed and wounded in the strike, "including administrative and judicial staff, visiting civilians, family members of inmates and the inmates themselves". Mohammadi expressed concern that among those killed were family members of inmates who had visited the prosecutor's office at the prison -- located close to the entrance –- seeking information about their loved ones' cases. The Norway-based Hengaw rights group said hours after the attack Evin prisoners were transferred by bus to other prisons in the region and the women inmates to Qarchak prison outside Tehran which has a dire reputation for its conditions. Amnesty International said it was "extremely distressed" by the attack on the prison "where hundreds of prisoners, including political dissidents and human rights defenders" are held. "Prison security forces must not use force or firearms against distressed prisoners," it said. The CHRI published a letter signed by inmates -- whose names were withheld for their safety -- accusing the Evin authorities of "creating a highly repressive atmosphere" rather than helping prisoners during the strikes. "We had nowhere to escape during the bombing, nor have we had any refuge from the organised violence that has crushed our lives and dignity for years," they said, adding several prisoners had been injured as they rushed downstairs in search of safety. 'Huge complex' British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held in Evin for several years, wrote in Britain's Guardian newspaper she vehemently opposed the bombing of the prison by Israel. "So bringing down those gates might have seemed like a symbolic act for faraway media. But it did not feel like it made anyone safe inside," she said. Built in 1972 under the reign of the former shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Evin has long been a looming presence, looking down on Tehran from its northern limits in the foothills of the Alborz mountains. In October 2022, at the height of nationwide protests against the authorities, Evin was hit by a fire, with reports of gunshots, that left at least eight inmates dead. The circumstances of the blaze remain murky. "It's a huge complex," said Taghi Rahmani, husband of Narges Mohammadi, now living in exile in France, who spent time in this prison between 1986 and 1994, and in 2010-2011, before fleeing Iran. He pointed in particular to section 209 -- run by the intelligence ministry for political prisoners -- as a "prison within a prison". Louis Arnaud, a Frenchman held for two years in Evin until his release last year, said he feared for his former cellmates. "In these very dark days, we don't know what could happen in this building."
The Print
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Himachal Pradesh prison department ranks second among small states in delivering justice: Report
It looks at four main areas which are Police, Judiciary, Prisons, and Legal Aid. Small states which have a population under one crore are ranked separately. The rankings are based on official government data collected over five years and consider factors like infrastructure, staffing, budgets, workload and diversity. The IJR is a detailed, data-based review of how well different states in India deliver justice. The report is prepared by a group of well-known organisations including DAKSH, CHRI, Common Cause, and TISS-Prayas. Shimla, May 17 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh Department of Prisons & Correctional Services has secured the second position among small states for delivering justice, according to a report by the India Justice Report (IJR) 2025. Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Sanjeev Ranjan Ojha, said that Himachal Pradesh performed especially well in the prisons category. 'This shows the state's strong and well-organised approach to prison management, particularly in terms of staffing, infrastructure improvements, and rehabilitation programmes,' he said. DG also said that the department's key achievements include second rank among small states in delivering justice, strong performance in prison management with better staff-to-inmate ratios and lower occupancy than the national average, improvements in staffing of prison posts and attention to inmate welfare following the Model Prison Manual and its ongoing focus on healthcare, video conferencing facilities and legal aid services in prisons. He further said that the report appreciates Himachal Pradesh for consistently improving its performance compared to previous editions of IJR, especially after Covid when many states faced challenges in continuing justice reforms. PTI COR HIG HIG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
