A group of 40 Nobel laureates from 12 countries have rallied behind jailed rights activist Binayak Sen,convicted of sedition by a Chhattisgarh court,and called for his immediate release. The group,which includes Indian-origin scientist Dr Venkatraman Ramakrishnan who got a Nobel in Chemistry in 2009,have issued an appeal that Sen's bail plea "be heard without delay under the highest standards of Indian law". "We respectfully express our astonishment and dismay at the unjust life sentence handed down last month in India to a fellow scientist and human rights advocate,61-year-old Dr Binayak Sen," said the appeal posted on website binayaksen.net,which has been set up by Sen's supporters. Sen,a paediatrician and social activist,was sentenced to life term by a lower court on December 24 over his links with Maoist ideologue Narayan Sanyal. Senior criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani is now representing Sen in court. The Noble laureates,who called for Sen's immediate release,described him as "an exceptional,courageous and selfless colleague" who has dedicated his life to helping those in India who are least able to help themselves. Ninety-one-year old French scientist François Jacob,who won a Nobel in 1965,is the senior-most laureate in the group,which includes several scientists. Among the signatories are Joseph Murray,who pioneered kidney transplant and Samuel Blumberg who discovered the Hepatitis B virus.
