Protests against Binayak Sen's life term snowballing

Protests against the life sentence handed down to internationally acclaimed activist and pioneering rural paediatrician Dr Binayak Sen for sedition are gathering momentum globally, and are expected to culminate on 30 January, Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary.

Human rights activists, civil society members, legal luminaries and the media are unanimous in condemning the Chattisgarh trial court's linking him with banned Maoist activity.

Activists have taken to the streets and petitioned the President for Sen's release. An online signature campaign has already attracted almost 2000 subscribers in 40 hours. Today, protests have been organised in the capital against his life sentence.

Amnesty International has condemned Sen's sentence handed down on Christmas Eve, calling it an unfair trial, and Indian courts are under pressure to review it.

"Life in prison is an unusually harsh sentence for anyone, much more for an internationally recognised human rights defender who has never been charged with any act of violence," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty's Asia-Pacific director. "State and federal authorities in India should immediately drop these politically motivated charges against Dr Sen and release him."

Sen, 58, whose work among the poor of the central state of Chhattisgarh has been praised around the world and won him the support of dozens of Nobel laureates, appeared on charges of sedition and conspiracy. He was alleged to have been passing messages for left wing guerrillas, Naxalites, and has been held without bail for more than two years.