INDIA: Killings of human rights defenders must be investigated

Azam Ali, the district secretary of the Nalgonda branch of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC), was killed by two unidentified men in Nalgonda town on the morning of 18 February. He was about to attend a meeting to commemorate the death of T. Puroshottam, Joint Secretary of the APCLC who was stabbed to death in November last year.

There are reports that Azam Ali was killed by ex-members of an armed group with links to the two men accused of the killing of T. Puroshottam.Despite repeated appeals and allegations that {police} have been actively involved in the attacks and have employed ex-members of armed groups in their operations, the government of Andhra Pradesh has refused to order a judicial inquiry into the killing of T. Puroshottam.

'The failure of the government to order an inquiry, coupled with allegations that the attackers had links to police, sends a clear signal that these crimes are not being taken seriously. The government must take action immediately if it is to avoid being accused of complicity,' Amnesty International said.