What is Diplomatic Immunity?
Diplomatic Immunity is “a form of legal immunity that ensures diplomats are exempt from prosecution under the host country's laws.”
It was agreed “as international law in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961).”
Further, “under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) a consul is afforded a variation of diplomatic immunity called consular immunity.”
It also guarantees “immunity from the host country's laws only with respect to acts related to consular duties.”
It was alleged by the prosecutor that the woman, by the name of Sangeeta Richard, had been exploited and made to work for "less than fair" wages.
According further to the prosecutor:
"This type of fraud on the United States and exploitation of an individual will not be tolerated…”
The NDTV further narrated that:
“Ms Khobragade, 39, who has two young daughters, is in charge of Political, Economic, Commercial and Women's Affairs at the consulate. The charges against her carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.”
While the BBC, Devyani Khobragade: Indian MPs demand action against US, December 18, reported that:
“The US Marshals Service Office of Public Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that she had been strip-searched.
“Ms Khobragade, 39, was arrested last Thursday in New York and later freed on a $250,000 (£153,000) bond after pleading not guilty to the charges.
“Law enforcement authorities in New York say Ms Khobragade "allegedly caused a materially false and fraudulent document to be presented, and materially false and fraudulent statements to be made, to the US Department of State in support of a visa application for an Indian national employed as a babysitter and housekeeper at her home in New York".
“If found guilty, she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for visa fraud and five years for making false statements.”
I find the request of India to the US to handle this case and settle this matter with “sensivity” by virtue of the fact of Ms. Khobragade’s diplomatic status.
I am also in agreement to Ms Khobragade's lawyers that her arrest on the street, without being given a chance to explain, was "shocking and unprecedented.”
I subscribed to the anger of the people of India in denouncing and condemning this utterly deplorable and unimaginably barbaric and despicable act of the US.
I am also in concurrence with the retaliation and reprisal committed or done so far by India, such as the removal of the barricades outside the US embassy and their direct act of snubbing a visitation from a US delegation.
The US must know that they do not owned the world and that if they can act like bastards; then India and other aggrieved nations can also act equally like them!
The US must apologize for their madness and barbarity before this incident assumes a more frightful forms!
Jose Mario Dolor De Vega
Philosophy lecturer
College of Arts and Sciences
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Diplomatic Immunity is “a form of legal immunity that ensures diplomats are exempt from prosecution under the host country's laws.”
It was agreed “as international law in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961).”
Further, “under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) a consul is afforded a variation of diplomatic immunity called consular immunity.”
It also guarantees “immunity from the host country's laws only with respect to acts related to consular duties.”
It was alleged by the prosecutor that the woman, by the name of Sangeeta Richard, had been exploited and made to work for "less than fair" wages.
According further to the prosecutor:
"This type of fraud on the United States and exploitation of an individual will not be tolerated…”
The NDTV further narrated that:
“Ms Khobragade, 39, who has two young daughters, is in charge of Political, Economic, Commercial and Women's Affairs at the consulate. The charges against her carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.”
While the BBC, Devyani Khobragade: Indian MPs demand action against US, December 18, reported that:
“The US Marshals Service Office of Public Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that she had been strip-searched.
“Ms Khobragade, 39, was arrested last Thursday in New York and later freed on a $250,000 (£153,000) bond after pleading not guilty to the charges.
“Law enforcement authorities in New York say Ms Khobragade "allegedly caused a materially false and fraudulent document to be presented, and materially false and fraudulent statements to be made, to the US Department of State in support of a visa application for an Indian national employed as a babysitter and housekeeper at her home in New York".
“If found guilty, she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for visa fraud and five years for making false statements.”
I find the request of India to the US to handle this case and settle this matter with “sensivity” by virtue of the fact of Ms. Khobragade’s diplomatic status.
I am also in agreement to Ms Khobragade's lawyers that her arrest on the street, without being given a chance to explain, was "shocking and unprecedented.”
I subscribed to the anger of the people of India in denouncing and condemning this utterly deplorable and unimaginably barbaric and despicable act of the US.
I am also in concurrence with the retaliation and reprisal committed or done so far by India, such as the removal of the barricades outside the US embassy and their direct act of snubbing a visitation from a US delegation.
The US must know that they do not owned the world and that if they can act like bastards; then India and other aggrieved nations can also act equally like them!
The US must apologize for their madness and barbarity before this incident assumes a more frightful forms!
Jose Mario Dolor De Vega
Philosophy lecturer
College of Arts and Sciences
Polytechnic University of the Philippines