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Release Baba Jan: Appeal to the Pakistani and Gilgit-Bltistan Government Baba Jan is a political activist in Gilgit-Bltistan facing a life sentence along 12 more at Gahkooch jail. He is a member federal committee Awami Workers Party and president of Progressive Youth Front. He was sentenced on the charges of rioting and organizing illegal rallies in 2010. His real “crime” was to help the victims of Atta Abad Lake to receive a fair compensation. The lake was established after the land sliding that blocked the path of the river. In 2010, when the people of Ali Abad, the main city of Hunza valley, protested for fair compensation for all the genuine victims of the Atta Abad Lake, police opened fire killing two protesters, the father and son. There was very strong protest immediately and people rebelled. Baba Jan was not there at the time. He later joined the protest and tried to cool down the temperature of the mood of people by organizing rallies and demonstrations. It was promised that the police case would be registered against the responsible police office for firing on the peaceful demonstrators. Instead, various police cases were registered against Baba Jan along over 100 activists from various political parties under anti-terrorist laws. Anti-terrorist laws are very often used against political activists in Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan on political grounds. Baba Jan and his 12 colleagues were sentenced to life in 2014 by the anti-terrorist court, never heard earlier that demonstrators would be sentenced to life for protesting. The High Court of GB acquitted Baba Jan later upon his appeal against the verdict. Baba Jan contested the general elections in 2015 and came second from his home constituency. However, when a bye election was to be held again in the same constituency, after winner was made governor of GB, and it emerged that no one can match the popularity of Baba Jan, the government went to Supreme Court and asked that their appeal for Baba Jan acquittal must be heard before the election and the election was postponed. Later the Supreme Court restored the life sentence of Baba Jan, many believed the decision was taken on the political basis to keep Baba Jan out of the contest. The Supreme Court would hear final review petition of Baba Jan on 25th May 2017. This is to demand from the government of GB to withdraw their appeal at the Supreme Court and plead at the Supreme Court for the release of Baba Jan and all others and to release all of them. This is to demand the publication of the judicial commission report on the incident and implementation on the recommendations. The Judicial commission was established by the GB government to investigate the whole incident. The report was never published. First signatures – list to be completed soon Özlem Barin, Socialisme 21, Belgium Olivier Besancenot, spokesperson, NPA, France Patrick Braouezec, Honorary Member of the Parliament, France Raúl Camargo, MP Podemos Madrid, militant of Anticapitalistas, Spain Léon Crémieux, Trade-Union activist Sud Aérien/Solidaires Alex de Jong, Editor, Grenzelos, The Netherlands Enrique de los Reyes, Political Consultant on Peace Process between the RWP-M and the GRP, Philippines Penelope Duggan, Editor, International Viewpoint Patrick Farbiaz, SDC, France Odile Hélier, France Samy Johsua, France Angela Klein, Editor Soz, Germany Alain Krivine, former European MP, France Piero Maestri, Communia Network, former provincial counselor Milano, Italia Christian Mahieux, Trade-Unionist SUD-Rail [Solidaires], magazine Les Utopiques, France Noël Mamère, mayor of Bègles, MP, France Gippo Mukendi Ngandu, teacher syndalist, Italia Armelle Perthus, spokesperson, NPA, France Christine Poupin, spokesperson, NPA, France Philippe Poutou, candidate, presidential election 2017, France Réseau Sortir du colonialisme (SDC), France Pierre Rousset, Europe solidaire sans frontières (ESSF), France Catherine Samary, economist, France Edgard Sanchez, Partido Revolucionarios de les Trabajadores (PRT), Mexico Jakob Schäfer, trade Union activist, member of ISO, Germany Glauber Sezerino, sociologue, association Autres Brésils, France Jonathan Simmel, parliamentary candidate, Red-Green Alliance, Denmark Eric Toussaint, spokesperson, CADTM-International Roseline Vachetta, former European MP, France Achin Vanaik, Retired Professor of International Relations, University of Delhi, India Christian Varin, New Anticapitalist Party (NPA), France Pedro Vianna, poet, writer, civil society activist, France Thomas Weyts, SAP-LCR Belgium International appeal launched by Farooq Tariq, Spokesperson Awami Workers Part _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
