New Delhi: European Union on Monday said there
was no need to be surprised about the grouping showing
interest in the case relating to rights activist Binayak Sen,
sentenced to life imprisonment for sedition, as it takes a lot
of interest in human rights defenders.
"The EU takes a lot of care of all human rights
defenders around the world, whether in India or anywhere else
in the world. So you should not be surprised that we are
interested in the case of Dr Sen," EU Ambassador to
India Daniele Smadja said.
"In addition, the EU has been following this case
since a couple of years and in fact, we had sent observers in
July 20008," Smadja said.
After the United Nations, the European Union has told
India that it would like to keep a watch on the hearing on the
appeal of Binayak Sen in the Chhattisgrah High Court while
expressing concern over the condition of his detention.
An eight-member team of European Union, which had
reached Raipur yesterday, faced protests from lawyers and ABVP
workers who showed EU representatives black flags and shouted
slogans against them.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 24, 2011, 23:55