Civil society seeks apology for deported ex-diplomat

About 45 civil society leaders, academicians and professionals have asked the Central government to issue an apology to former Swiss diplomate Kurt Vögele, who was allegedly detained and deported from Ahm-edabad airport on January 22.

Vögele, who has been with the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC) for decades, was deported in spite of having a valid visa, and blacklisted without giving any reason. He had alleged that his passport was handed over to him only on his return to Geneva. “You can imagine the shock, apprehension and anxiety of a 75-year-old man at being so undeservedly isolated and stripped of his right of entry,” the letter by Gagan Sethi of Janvikas, and other civil society leaders, to foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, says.

The letter wonders if there was any truth in reports that the incident was due to Vögele’s friendship with colleagues at Dalit rights NGO Navsarjan.

“In our democratic country and under our Constitution this can surely be no grounds for deportation. The Trust was denied a renewal of its FCRA licence in December 2016. If this were a reason, it would be a breach of the right to free association and also amount to victimisation of the Trust”, the letter says.