At least 17 cases have been filed against 51 individuals across seven states of India for expressing support for war-torn Palestine through protests or social media posts, according to reports.
The report titled “How India Crimininalised Pro-Palestinian Protests” published on September 16 by Article 14, an Indian non-governmental organization, investigated 17 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed in several Indian states including, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Palestine on October 7, 2023.
The report indicates that the charges against the individuals range from organising rallies to displaying Palestinian flags and posting pro-Palestine content on social media. Most cases fall under the new Indian Penal Code (IPC), while one case involves the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The cases include a 20-year-old shopkeeper who was charged for waving a Palestinian flag during a religious procession and a student facing legal action for participating in a solidarity march on campus.
The report indicates that nine of the FIRs were filed in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruling states or its allies, while the remaining eight were in opposition-controlled areas.
In November 2023, India voted against the forced Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.
India was among the 145 nations that voted in favour of the resolution along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, France, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the UK.
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