Arundhati Roy, the prize-winning Indian novelist, was jailed Wednesday (March 6, 2002) after the Supreme Court in India convicted her of criminal contempt for suggesting it was trying to “silence criticism” of its approval of a hydroelectric project. As about 250 supporters stood outside with banners reading “Free speech is not contempt,” the court sentenced Roy to one day in prison and a $42 fine. If she does not pay, she will spend three months in prison, the court said. The court said that in sentencing her to one day, it was “showing magnanimity of law by keeping in mind that the respondent is a woman.” Roy won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel “The God of Small Things.” She has written articles criticizing India's nuclear program and is a prominent campaigner against the Narmada Dam, the nation's biggest hydroelectric project.

Source: by Nirmala George / Associated Press (via Common Dreams News Center) If you want to take action, visit Amnesty International’s web site.