4pm- 6pm Meeting Room 6, Crystal McMillan Building 15 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Map

Everyone welcome

Speakers include Dr. Binayak Sen (Public health practitioner and human rights defender, India), Dr. Ilina Sen (Social worker, human rights activist and Dr Binayak Sen's wife), Shabnum Mustapha (Programme Director, Amnesty Internation al Scotland). Plus poetry from local poet Bashabi Fraser.

The meeting will followed by a Reception including the launch of a new Edinburgh student journal The South Asianist, sponsored by the Centre for South Asian Studies at Edinburgh University. So please come along even if you miss the start of the meeting.

Dr.Binayak Sen is visiting the UK to receive the Gandhi Foundation award for his work on health and human rights and will be speaking at a meeting in Edinburgh.

Convicted of 'sedition', but still free - Don't miss the chance to hear Binayak Sen speak

Dr Sen is an internationally acclaimed public health professional who has worked for over three decades with marginalised people in Chhattisgarh, one of the poorest states in India. In 2007 Dr Sen was accused of being a Maoist supporter and arrested under draconian "anti-terror" legislation. He spent 2 years in jail awaiting trial.

In May 2009, the Supreme Court of India granted him bail. However, on 24 December 2010, the judge of a local court in Chhattisgarh went on to convict and sentence Dr. Sen to life imprisonment  for ‘Sedition’. The same charge had been used to imprison Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak and many other freedom fighters during the British colonial rule of lndia. The Supreme Court has again granted Dr Sen bail so, for now, he is free.

flyer (with more background): http://bit.ly/NKezkj

Meeting hosted By: Centre for South Asian Studies and Global Public Health Unit (University of Edinburgh)
Supported By: Scottish Action for the release of Binayak Sen, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC), Amnesty International, Scotland.