A Polish court, following the apprehension by the Border Guard and a decision by the public prosecutor’s office, has placed under arrest the “guru” of rationalists known for his fight against religious “superstitions” in India. Sanal Edamaruku was scheduled to participate in a conference on human rights in Warsaw. He is currently being held in custody, awaiting extradition to India. What is the response of Minister Adam Bodnar, who takes pride in supporting activists?
Yle News, the news portal of the Finnish Public Broadcasting Company Yleisradio (Yle), reported that Sanal Edamaruku has been accused of blasphemy in India and has been residing in Finland since 2012. The Indian citizen was arrested in Poland. The organization Rationalist International, founded by Edamaruku, issued a statement regarding the matter on Saturday. On Sunday, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to the STT news agency that it is aware of the arrest.
He faces the threat of death
According to the statement from Rationalist International, Edamaruku was arrested on March 28 at Modlin Airport. He was to speak at a human rights conference in Warsaw. The arrest was made based on an Indian Interpol red notice issued for Edamaruku. India is seeking his extradition. In 2020, Edamaruku told STT that his life would be at risk if he returned to India.
Detention in Poland
Niezależna inquired about the case with the Vistula Division of the Polish Border Guard. It informed the Niezależna.pl news portal (without providing personal details – ed.) that on March 28, 2025, a man was detained at Warsaw-Modlin Airport upon arrival on a flight from London.
During border control procedures, Border Guard officers determined that the Indian citizen was wanted on an Interpol red notice by the Indian judiciary for arrest and extradition in connection with fraud offences. After contacting the National Interpol Bureau and confirming the validity of the notice, the suspect was arrested, then transported and placed in detention facilities. Following proceedings at the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw-Praga, a court order placed him in one of Warsaw’s pre-trial detention centres. – wrote the Border Guard in response to Niezależna’s inquiry.
Sanal Edamaruku is an Indian activist of the freethought and rationalist movement. He leads one of the largest “rationalist” organizations in the world – the Indian Rationalist Association (based in Delhi). He is also the president of the federation Rationalist International. Edamaruku has conducted campaigns in Indian villages, targeting mystics, so-called god-men, and practices he deems superstitious — including, among them, Christianity.