Justice for Fr Stan Swamy SJ

A digital forensic firm based in the US has confirmed that the accusation of sedition against Fr Stan Swamy SJ was based on false evidence, and that Fr Swamy, who died on 5 July 2021, while incarcerated and undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai, was framed.

The firm, Arsenal Consulting based in Boston, found evidence that someone hacked into the priest’s computer hard drive and planted incriminating documents to implicate him. The investigation was commissioned by Fr Swamy’s defense lawyers.

According to the Arsenal Report: “The attacker responsible for compromising Fr Swamy’s computer had extensive resources (including time) and it is obvious that their primary goals were surveillance and incriminating document delivery. Arsenal has effectively caught the attacker red handed (yet again), based on remnants of their activity left behind in file system transactions, application execution data, and otherwise.”

For over five decades, Fr Swamy ministered to India’ poorest and advocated for the rights of Adivasi communities, standing alongside them on issues of land, forest, and labour rights. In October 2020, he was arrested and accused of having links to violent Maoist groups, despite there being no evidence to support the claim. At 84 years old, he was the oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Critics argue that the law has been misused by the government to silence dissenters and human rights activists.

Jesuit Missions UK is running a petition calling on the Indian government to clear Fr Swamy’s name based on the new evidence. In Jharkhand, the petition has already received 10,000 signatures.

You can sign Jesuit Missions’ petition here.