Amnesty slams India for arresting Pakistan's cricket fans

Amnesty International has slammed Indian authorities for arresting nineteen Pakistani cricket fans, which were celebrating Pakistan win over India in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy.

The fans “should be released immediately”, said Amnesty International, in a statement.

“These arrests are patently absurd, and the 19 men should be released immediately,” said Asmita Basu, Amnesty International’s India programme director.

The 19 men were accused of spreading ‘communal disharmony,’ which is punishable by life imprisonment.

“Even if the arrested men had supported Pakistan, as the police claim, that is not a crime. Supporting a sporting team is a matter of individual choice, and arresting someone for cheering a rival team clearly violates their right to freedom of expression,” added Basu.

According to Amnesty International, the initial report by Madhya Pradesh police states: “[The accused] chanted ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in support of the Pakistan cricket team … They celebrated Pakistan’s win by bursting crackers and distributing sweets … Their actions suggested that they were trying to conspire against the Indian government by supporting Pakistan in the cricket match … Because of them, there is an atmosphere of unrest in the village.”

However, this is not the first time, the Indian authorities have arrested people for showing support for Pakistan cricket team. Last year, Ripon Chowdhury, 21, was arrested for wearing Pakistan team jersey, while watching a local cricket tournament after his shirt angered a Hindu nationalist group.