12 organisations interpellent l’ambassadeur d’Inde en France, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, sur la situation du Lawyers Collective, une organisation défendant les droits humains, notamment des minorités (LGBTI, femmes, usagErEs de drogues, etc.) et l’accès aux soins. L’association est notamment pionnière en matière d’opposition aux brevets et fait aujourd’hui l’objet d’une répression judiciaire inquiétante.
His Excellency Mr. Vinay Mohan Kwatra
Ambassador of India in France
15, rue Alfred Dehodencq
75016 Paris
Paris, July 18, 2019
Subject: Support to the Lawyers Collective
Dear Ambassador
We, mostly French health non-profit organizations, have had the opportunity to work closely with the Lawyers Collective in the past decades, in the context of the fight against HIV and AIDS, hepatitis or other diseases. We have had many opportunities to measure the great contribution from this organization to defend the rights of patients and improve access to medicines, not only in India but throughout the world.
On July 11, we were shocked to hear that the police had conducted a dawn raid at the home of the Lawyers Collective’s founders, M. Anand Grover and Ms Indira Jaising, who are also Supreme Court lawyers.
We urge you, and your Government, to do all in your power to ensure the Lawyers Collective is able to continue to operate and that M. Anand Grover and Ms Indira Jaising are left free to perform their duty as lawyers.
Signatories : Access – France, Act Up-Basel – Switzerland, Act Up-Paris – France, Action Santé Mondiale – France, Aides – France, Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS) – Maroc, Coalition internationale sida « Plus » – France, Les irrécupérables – France, Médecins du Monde – France, Observatoire de la transparence dans les politiques du médicament – France, Sidaction – France, Solthis – France