NEW DELHI: In response to a study by an international money-laundering monitor, Amnesty International has declared that India must end its “witch hunt” against civil society organizations under the guise of combating money laundering or terrorism financing.
News organizations and human rights organizations have long accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government of harassing them; the government has refuted these claims.
In the recent decade, India has withdrawn the licences of thousands of non-governmental groups under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). To accept funds from overseas, charities and non-profit organizations must register under the FCRA.
However, detractors claim that by closely examining their finances and enforcing restrictions on foreign funding, Modi’s administration has attempted to put pressure on human rights organisations.
According to Amnesty International, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) of Paris has criticized the Indian government in its assessment, which was made public on Thursday, for its “partial compliance” with measures meant to safeguard civil society operations. India has been a member of the 40-member FATF since 2010, and its mandate is to address international money laundering and financing of terrorism.
“The Indian government must take seriously the priority actions recommended by the FATF report…. to stop the witch-hunt under India’s anti-terror and money-laundering laws of non-profit organisations, human rights defenders and activists,” Amnesty International India chair Aakar Patel said on Thursday.
According to the FATF study, India’s anti-terrorism and money laundering legislation have seen “significant delays in prosecutions,” which have left a “high number of pending cases and accused awaiting trial.”
