India Releases 'Fridays for Future' Activist Disha Ravi

A New Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to Fridays for Future member Disha Ravi who Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration jailed because of her support for the farmers' protest.

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Besides noting that the 22-year-old had no criminal record, the court's ruling pointed out that the investigation in the case had been based on scant and incomplete information.

Ravi, who will be released on US$2,800 bail, was arrested on February 13 for participating in the drafting of a document in support of the farmers' protest against laws that favor big business.

Posted on Twitter by climate activist Greta Thunberg, the document prompted reactions from celebrities such as singer Rihanna. The Indian government then argued that the document sought to create discontent and misinformation as part of an international conspiracy against Modi.

The police also accused Ravi of having links with a Canada-based Sikh separatist group.

Since November 2020, farmers have been protesting against legal reforms that remove state price controls and force them to negotiate their crops with businessmen who control the supply chain.

Ravi's imprisonment was the latest in a series of arrests of public figures who have spoken out against the Modi administration and its neoliberal policies.