A senior Indian official at Amnesty International, Gita Sahgal, who was suspended after she complained that the human rights organisation was closely linked to a 'pro-jihadi group,' has left her job.
Sahgal came under wide public attention in February, when she was suspended by Amnesty as head of its Gender Unit after she criticised the organisation for its high-profile associations with Moazzam Begg, the director of a campaign group called Cageprisoners, whom she referred to as 'Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban.'
She had argued that by associating itself with Begg and Cageprisoners, Amnesty was risking its reputation on human rights.
"As a former Guantanamo detainee, it was legitimate to hear his experiences, but as a supporter of the Taliban it was absolutely wrong to legitimise him as a partner," Sahgal had said.
While leaving her job, the 53-year-old said that she felt that her seven years' campaigning for women's rights had been a waste of time because of the charity's continuing work with the former inmate at Guantanamo Bay and his group.
"Their continued link to Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners undermines Amnesty's claims to stand against gender-based violence and religious discrimination. He supports Islamic states where women are second-class citizens," The Times Online quoted Sahgal, as saying.
Begg is part of an Amnesty-hosted tour that is urging countries to offer a haven to former Guantanamo detainees.
Meanwhile, a statement circulated internally within Amnesty last week said: "Due to irreconcilable differences of view over policy between Gita Sahgal and Amnesty International regarding Amnesty International's relationship with Moazzam Begg and Cageprisoners, it has been agreed that Gita will leave Amnesty International on April 9."
"Gita has most recently held the position of Interim Head of the Gender, Sexuality and Identity Unit, and was in a period of consultation over possible redeployment following a redundancy process. Accordingly, Gita will leave receiving a payment based on Amnesty International's redundancy policy," the statement added.
Sahgal is a writer and journalist on issues of feminism, fundamentalism, racism, a director of prize-winning documentary films, and a women''s rights and human rights activist.
