Human Rights Organizations Condemn Indian Police Raids on Newsclick Offices and Journalists’ Homes
As organizations dedicated to fighting for justice, equality, and human rights in India and around the world, we condemn India’s National Investigative Agency and Delhi police for raiding the offices of Indian media portal Newsclick, as well as the homes of several journalists who contributed to the outlet, and arresting Editor in Chief Prabir Purkayastha on October 3, 2023. We unequivocally condemn this indefensible assault on India’s already-beleaguered press, and call for the immediate release of those who were arrested. In addition, we call on the international community—particularly the United States—to take a strong stance against the Modi government’s ongoing attacks on human rights and press freedom. India claims to be the “world’s largest democracy,” but the Indian government’s raids on independent media outlets, confiscation of phones and laptops, and arrests of journalists simply for criticizing those in power constitute a concerted violation of Indians’ fundamental right to freedom of expression.
These raids constitute the Modi regime’s politically motivated campaign to silence one of the last news outlets willing to criticize India’s increasingly authoritarian government. This is just the latest example of the extreme measures the Indian government is willing to take in its quest to muzzle dissent and clamp down on press freedom. According to Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index, India currently stands at 161st out of 180 countries—ranking worse than Venezuela and Afghanistan for press freedom, and falling just barely ahead of authoritarian regimes such as Russia, Turkey, and Egypt. The raids were roundly denounced by the Press Club of India, the Editors Guild of India, and the opposition INDIA Alliance.
We would be remiss not to point out that with these raids, history is repeating itself—Prabir Purkayastha, Newsclick’s Editor in Chief who was arrested Tuesday morning, previously spent time in prison during the Emergency of 1975-1977, when Indira Gandhi’s government suspended civil liberties, censored the press, and imprisoned its opponents en masse in order to consolidate political power. Over the last several years, observers both in India and abroad have warned about how India under Narendra Modi is increasingly being governed as if it were in a state of perpetual “undeclared emergency.” Today’s unconscionable raids are a chilling reminder of why those warnings should not go unheeded.
Signed:
Alliance of South Asians Taking Action
Ambedkar King Study Circle
Americans for Kashmir
Aotearoa Alliance of Progressive Indians
Asian Children’s Education Fellowship
Center for Security, Race and Rights
Dalit Solidarity Forum USA
Emgage Action
EnsaafFoundation
Friends of India, Texas
GreenFaith
Hindus for Human Rights
Indian American Muslim Council
India Labour Solidarity (UK)
Indian Workers Association GB
International Commission for Dalit Rights
International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India)
Justice For All
The London Story
MPower Change Action Fund
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
NAMTA Canada (North American Manipur Tribal Association)
North American South Asian Law Students Association
Pax Christi USA
PRASHANT
SACRED (South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy)
Sakhi for South Asian Women
South Asia Solidarity Group
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights