The silent vigil, organised by Jesuit Missions, marked four years since Fr Stan’s death in custody and is the latest in a series of public actions challenging the treatment of the Indian Jesuit and his co-accused. Participants stood in quiet witness outside India House holding signs reading “Clear his name”, and shared prayers and testimonies calling for truth, justice and accountability. A delegation from Jesuit Missions attempted to deliver a box of signed memorial cards to the High Commission, but were refused entry.
Fr Stan, who spent decades defending the rights of Adivasi and Dalit communities in eastern India, was arrested in October 2020 under anti-terror legislation, accused of inciting violence. At 83, and suffering from Parkinson’s disease, he was detained without trial and denied bail and medical care. He died on 5 July 2021 after seven months in custody.
His death drew international condemnation, including from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In the years since, Jesuit Missions and Jesuits in Britain have campaigned for justice in his name—organising vigils, lobbying Parliament, and coordinating public calls for accountability. In 2022, a forensic report by US-based consultants Arsenal found that key evidence used against Fr Stan had likely been planted on his computer.
Jesuit Missions continues to call for a formal declaration of Fr Stan’s innocence, and for due process for the 15 others still facing charges under the controversial Bhima Koregaon case. “We continue to voice our call for Fr Stan’s name to be cleared,” said Paul Chitnis, Director of Jesuit Missions. “We refuse to forget him and his legacy of working for the marginalised.”
Fr Stan joined the Society of Jesus in 1957 and spent more than five decades working alongside Indigenous communities, campaigning peacefully for land rights and justice. Following his death in 2021, Fr Damian Howard SJ, Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Britain, said: “His fidelity to his mission right to the end is his last expression of service to the poor whose rights he defended for so long.”
The London vigil is part of a wider global movement keeping Fr Stan’s memory alive and pressing for the truth to be recognised. Jesuit Missions invites supporters to continue to pray, campaign and share his story.
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