A group of 15 international organisations released a statement on Thursday condemning the Centre’s move to freeze the bank accounts of human rights body Amnesty International India.

Calling the move ‘politically motivated’ they said that “the overbroad legal framework is maliciously activated when human rights defenders and groups challenge the government’s grave inactions and excesses.”

They also said that the actions increasingly mimic authoritarian regimes, which do not tolerate any criticism and ‘shamelessly target’ those who dare to speak out. “With growing criticism of the government’s discriminatory policies and attacks on the rule of law, the authorities seem more interested in shooting the messenger than addressing the grievances,” the statement read.

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The organisations that have raised concern about the actions against Amnesty International India are the Association for Progressive Communications, Global Indian Progressive Alliance, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Front Line Defenders, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Foundation the London Story, Hindus for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, International Service for Human Rights, Minority Rights Group, Odhikar, South Asians for Human Rights, and World Organisation Against Torture.

Earlier, the organisation had said that it has been compelled to halt work as the central government had frozen its bank accounts. The organisation said that human rights defenders are facing an ‘incessant witch-hunt.’

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Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs had said that Amnesty International’s statement about an alleged witch-hunt was unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth. It also said that the ‘glossy’ statements were nothing but a “ploy to divert attention” from their activities, which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws.