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The Show Trial of Arundhati Roy

By prosecuting the author Arundhati Roy over comments she made in 2010, India's government wants to send a tough message to dissenters: conform or else. But the case will merely provide more fodder to those who have already downgraded India to an “electoral autocracy” and lowered its press-freedom ranking.

NEW DELHI – Last month, the lieutenant governor of Delhi granted the police permission to prosecute Indian activist and prize-winning author Arundhati Roy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Back in 2010, Roy said that Kashmir – which was experiencing unrest at the time – is not “an integral part of India.” Accusations of sedition quickly followed, but it is only now that she will face prosecution.

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