Rona Wilson

Extra Bio Info:

Rona Wilson is detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On June 6, 2018, police in Maharashtra arrested several prominent Dalit and Adivasi rights activists, including Wilson, a member of the Committee for Release of Political Prisoners. Authorities accused Wilson and others of inciting caste-based violence through speeches on December 31, 2017, that resulted in violent clashes the next day in Bhima Koregaon and neighboring villages in Maharashtra state.  Authorities also accused them of having ties to banned Maoist groups. Wilson was reportedly charged under various sections of the Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

On June 8, 2018, police announced that after searching Wilson’s laptop, they found a letter Wilson had allegedly written to a Maoist militant urging the assassination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On October 5, 2018, several UN human rights experts expressed concern that the charges against Wilson and other activists in the case are “being used to silence human rights defenders who promote and protect the rights of India’s Dalit, indigenous, and tribal communities.”

On February 14, 2020, Wilson’s case was transferred from Pune, Maharashtra, to a special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai.

In February 2021, a report from American digital forensics firm Arsenal Consulting concluded that a hacker used malware to plant incriminating letters onto Wilson’s computer.

In April 2021, Arsenal Consulting concluded that a hacker planted over 30 documents on Wilson’s computer.

In August 2021, the National Investigation Agency submitted draft charges to a special court in Mumbai, claiming that Wilson and others accused in the case were active members of the banned terrorist organization Communist Party of India. It also alleged that the accused wanted to establish a “janta sarkar” “via revolution supported by a commitment to protracted armed struggle to undermine and to seize power from the state.” The accused were charged with over a dozen offenses including, "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony" (Sec. 153A IPC), public mischief (Sec. 505(1)(B) IPC), “waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India” (Sec. 121 IPC), “conspiracy to commit offences” waging war against the state (Sec. 121A IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), and several sections under UAPA.

On September 7, 2021, Wilson was granted a 14-day bail scheduled from September 13 to September 27 to attend his father’s funeral rites.

In December 2021, it was reported that Wilson’s phone had been infiltrated using NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware before his arrest.

Wilson is currently at Taloja Central Jail, Navi Mumbai.

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