ICJ said the authorities have launched a crackdown onfarmers' movement in an aggressive manner.
The ICJ added, that "since early February 2021,police have used metal barricades, cement walls and iron nails to block theroads leading to Tikri, Singhu, Ghazipur, the three main borders where thefarmers have assembled. They have done so to prevent any vehicles from theseareas entering Delhi. The barricades have also served to deny male and femalefarmers and their families, including children, consistent access to water andsanitation facilities. The protests at these sites over the past two months arereported to have been peaceful."
While talking about Journalists, ICJ added, "twojournalists were detained and assaulted for reporting from the ground, whilenine senior journalists have been threatened with criminal charges includingsedition charges by the Indian Government."
It further added, "More than 125 persons, includingfarmers and also bystanders have reportedly been arrested largely in responseto a violent clash that occurred on 26 January 2021. At least 21 farmersare reported to be currently missing."
“Rather than protecting the right to peaceful protest asrequired by law, the Indian authorities have cracked down on farmers in anarbitrary and aggressive manner, using unlawful force and preventing freemovement as well as access to essential facilities”, said Ian Seiderman, ICJ’sLegal and Policy Director.
The Indian Supreme Court on 17 December 2020, upheld theright to protest of farmers calling it “part of a fundamental right” which canbe exercised “subject to public order”. The Court has further said that“[t]here can certainly be no impediment in the exercise of such rights as longas it is non-violent and does not result in damage to the life and propertiesof other citizens and is in accordance with law.”
“The suppression of the right to peaceful assembly hasbecome a pattern in India, as we saw in December2019 and January2020 with the mass arrests of students and human rights defenders who wereprotesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act,” said Seiderman.
The ICJ called on the responsible authorities to removebarricades around protest sites, enable access to water and sanitationfacilities and to desist from further arbitrary arrests.