The use of spyware, malware, and digital surveillance tools on the 16 accused in the Bhima Koregaon case was flagged by 21 members of the European Union (EU) Parliament, in an open letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and others on March 8. In the letter, the MPs particularly raise concerns about with the use of malware 'like Pegasus and NetWire' against the accused or their lawyers, and have asked the Indian government to hold those responsible to account. "We draw your attention to the most recent endorsement by India of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in September 2020, and the Human Rights Dialogue between India and EU and wish to emphasize that any deepening of EU-India ties will have to be ratified by the European Parliament." — Letter written by EU MP Alviina Alametsä and co-signed by 20 other MPs The use of surveillance tools "raises grave concern over the role of the government and the credibility of evidence against those jailed," the letter read. Further, the MPs said that they will be following up on the matter through the EU delegation, member states' embassies in India, and request for a EU Parliament discussion on this issue. The issues raised in the letter could have an impact on bilateral relations between India and the EU if they are not addressed. List of other demands raised by the MPs in the letter Apart from investigating the use of Pegasus against the accused in the Bhima…
