最高裁長官批判の弁護士に１ルピーの罰金　インド

【ニューデリーＡＦＰ＝時事】インド最高裁は8月31日、新型コロナウイルス流行のさなかに、最高裁長官がマスクを着用せずに複数の人に囲まれ大型バイクにまたがる写真をツイッターに投稿した人権派弁護士に対し、侮辱行為に当たるとして罰金1ルピー（約1．5円）を言い渡した。象徴的な処分とみられているものの、言論の自由をめぐり懸念が持ち上がっている。（写真はインド・ニューデリーで記者会見をする、弁護士のプラシャント・ブシャン氏）
　弁護士のプラシャント・ブシャン氏（６３）は６月、最高裁長官シャラド・アービンド ・ボブデ氏への批判と思われるツイート２本を投稿。うち１本には同長官が「ハーレーダビッドソン」のバイクにまたがる写真が添えられていた。
　罰金の支払期限は９月中旬で、支払わなかった場合には３月の禁錮および弁護士資格の停止が命じられる。
　ブシャン氏は、罰金は払うと述べたが、ツイートについては謝罪しなかった。
　この裁判は言論の自由をめぐる懸念を生じさせているが、同時にインド法曹界内の不毛な意地の張り合いともとられている。
　ブシャン氏は、ヒンズー国家主義政権を率いるナレンドラ・モディ首相への批判の先鋒（せんぽう）に立ち、長年にわたって数々の公益訴訟を手掛け、人権活動家の弁護を無償で引き受けてきた。
　ボブデ長官に関するツイートを投稿した際には、コロナ流行によるロックダウン（都市封鎖）で裁判所が閉鎖され、「司法へのアクセスという市民の基本的権利が否定される」中で、長官の行為は偽善的だと非難していた。
　ブシャン氏は８月、侮辱行為で有罪が確定していた。最高裁はおそらくさらなる問題化を避けるため、謝罪の機会を与え、罰則を回避しようとした。だが、ブシャン氏は「自分の良心に対する侮辱になる」とし、これを拒否した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/09/02-15:01）

India's top court imposed a symbolic one rupee fine (one US cent) Monday on a celebrated public service lawyer for contempt in a case that raised concern about free speech in the world's largest democracy.
Prashant Bhushan, 63, was convicted in August for two tweets deemed critical of the judiciary -- including one showing a picture of the chief justice astride a Harley-Davidson motorbike.
Following Monday's sentencing, Bhushan tweeted a photo of him holding a one rupee coin -- saying his lawyer and senior colleague Rajiv Dhavan had given him the money.
Bhushan had been ordered to pay the fine by mid-September or face three months in jail and a suspension from the bar.
The case raised concerns about freedom of speech, but also was seen as a battle of wills in India's legal ether.
Bhushan is a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-nationalist government and over the years has filed a number of public interest cases and served pro bono in the trials of rights activists.
Hailing from legal blue blood, he studied at top Indian universities -- and Princeton in the US -- before embarking on a celebrated career at home.
Following the imposition of a coronavirus lockdown in March, Bhushan filed petitions concerning the plight of millions of migrant workers who were left without jobs.
In June he tweeted a picture of chief justice Sharad Arvind Bobde on a motorbike -- without a face mask and surrounded by people despite the coronavirus pandemic.
He accused him of hypocrisy at a time when the court was in lockdown, denying citizens their fundamental right to access justice.
Bhushan was charged with contempt, but -- apparently keen to avoid a fuss -- the court offered him the chance to apologise and avoid punishment.
He refused, however, saying that would amount to contempt of my conscience.
Monday's sentence ended what some in the legal community increasingly saw as a circus, although the three-judge panel defended their decision.
Freedom of expression is there, but rights of others should also be respected, said the bench, sitting without chief justice Bobde.
After last month's verdict, several lawyers and retired judges said it went against freedom of expression and called the contempt laws a colonial legacy.
Bhushan still faces a separate contempt charge over a 2009 media interview he gave in which accused judges of corruption.
That case will be heard on September 10.