Honoring the life and legacy of Father Stan, a prominent human rights activist who died while in custody of the Indian state on July 5, 2021, and encouraging India to pursue an independent investigation into his arrest, incarceration, and death.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of Father Stan , a Jesuit priest and human rights activist who dedicated his life to advocating for India's marginalized Adivasi, Dalit, and other indigenous communities. He worked to protect their land rights, promote self-governance, and expose the illegal imprisonment of activists, authoring over 70 books on their socio-economic conditions. Father Stan was arrested in October 2020 on terrorism charges related to the Bhima Koregaon case, despite being an octogenarian suffering from Parkinson's disease. He was incarcerated in Taloja prison, where his health deteriorated, and bail was repeatedly denied even after he contracted COVID-19. He passed away in custody on July 5, 2021, at the age of 84. Digital forensic reports, including one by Arsenal Consulting, suggest that evidence used against Father Stan was fabricated and planted on his computer by hackers with advance knowledge of police raids. These findings indicate a broader pattern of evidence tampering targeting human rights activists in India. The resolution encourages India to conduct an independent investigation into Father Stan's arrest, incarceration, and death. It also makes it clear to the Indian Government and all governments that the mistreatment and incarceration of human rights advocates are unacceptable. Furthermore, the resolution expresses concern over the misuse of antiterror laws to target human rights defenders and political opponents, urging India's Parliament to permanently suspend its controversial colonial-era sedition law. It emphasizes that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.