EU team lands in Bilaspur for Dr Binayak Sen’s HC hearing

An-eight member delegation of the European Union (EU) arrived Sunday night in Raipur, the capital of Chattisgarh to attend a bail plea of doctor and rights activist Binayak Sen that is to be heard by the Chhattisgarh high court today.

However, it seems a little unclear whether they will be allowed to attend.

The EU delegation members landed amid protests of 'Go Back' by some local groups as they left for Bilaspur town, 110 km away, by car to attend the hearing.

The ministry of external affairs had forwarded to the Chhatisgarh government a request from the EU delegation to watch the proceedings in the high court. Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh has forwarded the request to the high court, leaving it to the judiciary to take a decision whether the foreign observers should be allowed to watch the proceedings.

The foreign delgates are Peter Kimpian (Hungary), Raphael Martin de Lagarde (France), Alexandra Berg von Linde (Sweden), Florian Burkhardt (Germany), Jochen Anthierens (Belgium), Iain Twigg (UK), Louise de Brass (Denmark) and Anne Vaugier-Chatterjee (EU). Most of them are members of their countries' diplomatic missions in New Delhi.

Incidentally, last Thursday, the Supreme Court took exception to an activist reporting court proceedings on the post-Godhra carnage of Muslims in Gujarat to an international human rights body.