'Human rights firms being treated as criminal Cos'

Aakar Patel. Pic/AFP

Amnesty International India alleged the government was treating human rights firms like criminal enterprises in the wake of searches by the ED at its premises. The ED on Thursday conducted searches at two locations of the rights watchdog in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case.

"Government authorities are increasingly treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises," Amnesty International India executive director Aakar Patel said.

The searches were in connection with alleged violation of FDI norms that is linked to an earlier case of revocation of FCRA licence of the NGO by the Union Home Ministry in 2010.

"As an organisation committed to the rule of law, our operations in India have always conformed with our national regulations. The principles of transparency and accountability are at the heart of our work," Patel said. The focus of ED's questioning was the relationship between two entities - Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and Amnesty International India Foundation, it said. Most of the documents asked for during the search were available in the public domain or were already filed with the relevant authorities, the watchdog said.

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