The World People’s Resistance Movement in Europe and South Asia has called for an international day of protest 2 July to demand the unconditional release of Comrades Guarav and Kiran and other Nepalese political prisoners held in India.

A WPRM release says, “In India there are 137 Nepalese linked to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) currently being held in jail based on claims that they are ‘terrorists’ and a ‘threat to India’s security’. The most prominent among them are Comrades Gaurav (C.P. Gajurel) and Kiran (Mohan Baidhya). Comrades Gaurav and Kiran are senior leaders of the CPN (M) and members of its political bureau. As such they are recognized by millions of Nepalese as the true leaders of their struggle and country. They, along with the other Nepali political prisoners in India, are essentially being used as political hostages by the Indian authorities who, in direct defiance of the stated desires of the vast majority of people in Nepal, are seeking to maintain India’s historical domination over Nepal’s people and resources. In the current situation there is no longer any excuse for India to continue to hold these prisoners - all of them must be released now !

“This is especially true given that the Nepali government has officially retracted all international arrest warrants against CPN (M) leaders and activists and released all CPN (M) prisoners from jails in Nepal. Continued claims that they pose a threat to the Indian state are patently ridiculous - people’s liberation is not terrorism ! Further stalling and delays by the Indian authorities - who never tire of calling themselves the leaders of ‘the world’s biggest democracy’ - cannot be tolerated.

“Similarly, 23 Nepali political prisoners are currently being held in prisons in China, including two who have been sentenced to death. This is not due to any ‘crimes’ they have supposedly committed in China, but to the fact that the Chinese government has been one of the most outspoken international supporters of the monarchy in Nepal. The Chinese government must without delay meet the demand of the Nepali people that these prisoners be freed as well.

“Finally, the people’s movement in Nepal has justly insisted that not only the political prisoners be freed, but also that those prisoners who ‘disappeared’ while in government custody be fully accounted for. Basic justice demands that these desires be met and that those police, soldiers and government officials responsible for the widespread torture of prisoners and their ‘disappearance’ - i.e. murder - be punished for their crimes.

“The WPRM in Europe and South Asia is calling on all progressive and anti-imperialist people and forces around the world to join with us on July 2 to participate in a worldwide day of solidarity with the Nepalese political prisoners and to demand their unconditional immediate release !”

Comrade Gaurav has been held in Chennai, India since August 2003 on a passport violation. According to a statement from his lawyer in Chennai, A. Rahul, on 12 June an Indian magistrate convicted him on this charge and sentenced him to three years in prison. Taking into account the 34 months in jail awaiting trial, the judge said, and waiving the remaining two months, “I am of the opinion that the entire sentence ordered by the Court is already over and nothing remains to detain C. P. Gajurel as insofar as the passport case.”

Nevertheless, Comrade Guarav has not been released. Rahul explained, “What remains now is a detention order passed under the National Security Act. This detention order was passed by the government of Tamil Nadu on 19 September 2005 and the same will be in force till 19 September 2006. The National Security Act is a preventive detention law by which a detention order can be passed if coming out of prison would disturb ‘public peace and tranquillity’.”

Among other actions, a protest meeting will be held in Frankfurt, Germany, at noon 30 June in front of the Consulate General of India on Friedrich Ebert Anlage 26.

For more information, go to www.wprm.org.