‘Worrying Attack on Press Freedom’: 230+ Journalists, Artists, Academics Slam NewsClick Raids
New Delhi: More than 230 journalists, news organisations, academics and artists have condemned the Delhi police’s raid on NewsClick, saying it constitutes a “worrying attack on the democratic principles of press freedom and freedom of expression”.
They said that media outlets like NewsClick strengthen democracy by “shining a light and giving a voice to those marginalized and silenced sectors of society which clamour for dignity and change”.
Expressing solidarity, they demanded the immediate release of NewsClick editor Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty, who have been arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA].
Read the full statement, along with the list of signatories, below.
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We, the undersigned journalists, progressive news publications, academics, artists, and political leaders, from around the world, join together to condemn the horrific repression faced by our colleagues at Newsclick and Peoples Dispatch in India on October 3, 2023. The mass raids and detentions unleashed against journalists, commentators, cartoonists, and comedians associated with the outlet, as well as the arrest of its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and administrator Amit Chakraborty under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act constitute a worrying attack on the democratic principles of press freedom and freedom of expression.
NewsClick is exactly the kind of media outlet which strengthens a democracy, shining a light and giving a voice to those marginalized and silenced sectors of society which clamour for dignity and change.
We stand with our colleagues at Newsclick and Peoples Dispatch and demand the immediate release of those arrested.
Signatories:
Andrea Ross, Frente Patria Grande, Argentina
Erika Gimenez, ARG Medios, Argentina
Facundo, Comuna, Argentina
Fernando Rule Castro, Argentina
Francisco Rodrigo Farina, Editorial El Colectivo, Argentina
Francisco Vértiz, Editorial Batalla de Ideas, Argentina
Julián Pilatti, Arg medios, Argentina
Lautaro Rivara, Argentina
Paula Klachko, Argentina
Sofia Urosevich, ARG Medios, Argentina
Gabriel Shipton, Australia
Salami Nidol, SamSin TV, Bénin
Juan Espinoza del Villar, Midia Ninja, Bolivia
Andrés Huanca, Abya Yala Tv, Bolivia
Abdon Franklin de Meiroz Grilo, Brazil
Associação Catarinense de Rádios Comuitárias, Brazil
Aline Tatiane Adolphs, Brazil
Ana Marta Resing, Brazil
Claudio Antonio Ribeiro, Aposentado, Brazil
Eliane Silveira, Sindicato dos Jornalistas do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Gabriella Petroni, Brazil de Fato, Brazil
João Carlos Santin, Jornalismo RadCom, Brazil
João Costa, Jornalista, Brazil
Joaquim Soriano, Brazil
Katia Camargo, Brazil
Katia Marko, Brazil de Fato RS, Brazil
Lara Sfair, ABI, Brazil
Laura Santos Rocha, Sindicato de Jornalistas Profissionais do Rio Grande do Sul (SindJoRS), Brazil
Leandro Melito Ferreira, Freelancer, Brazil
Leda Beck, APJor, Brazil
Leila Tais Vicari, Verdeperto Comunicação, Brazil
Letícia Castro, Imprensa, Brazil
Luiz Fernando Taranto, Brazil
Marcos Ferreira, Brazil
Maria, Brasil de Fato, Brazil
Martha Raquel Rodrigues, Jornalistas Livres, Brazil
Niara de Oliveira, freelancer, Brazil
Nina Fideles, Brasil de Fato, Brazil
Rosimer, Brazil
Vivian Neves Fernandes, Brazil
Vladimir Sacchetta, Porviroscópio Projetos e conteúdos, Brazil
Wevergton Brito Lima, Site i21.org.br, Brazil
Davina Bhandar, Canada
Kaushalya Bannerji, Artist, Canada
Rita Kaur Dhamoon, Associate Professor, Canada
Subho Basu, Canada
Tyson, Rebel Youth Magazine, Canada
Taroa Zúñiga Silva, Globetrotter, Chile
Pablo Abufom, Revista Posiciones, Chile
Patricia Silva Soto, Chile
Tings Chak, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, China
Ana Vracar, Peoples Health Dispatch, Croatia
Rosa Miriam Elizalde, Dominio Cuba, Cuba
Irene León, REDH, Ecuador
Anabel, Ecuador
Mahmoud Hashem, Africavoices.net, Egypt
Fabien Tarrit, France
Sevim Dagdelen, German Bundestag, Germany
Kwesi Pratt Jnr., Managing Editor of The Insight Newspaper and founder of Pan African Television, Ghana
Oscar Gálvez, Voces de Iximulew, Guatemala
Jean Waltès Bien-Aimé, Radio Resistencia, Haití
India and Global Left, India
Mrinal Kanti Das, India
Rajarshi Adhikary, India
Soumyaneel Dasgupta, Jadavpur University, India
Subhabrata Roy, India
Suchetana Chattopadhyay, India
Vijay Prashad, Globetrotter, India
Chris Hazzard, Ireland
Bianca Maria, Italy
Giuliano Granato, Italy
Giuseppe, Italy
Maurizio Coppola, freelance, Italy
Nicola, Italy
Nicoletta Manuzzato, Italy
Partito della Rifondazione Comunista – Sinistra Europea, Italy
Roberto Evangelista, Italy
Ruggiero Alessandro, Italy
Nick Deane, Jamaica
Jennes Anderson, Jamaica
Ahmed Kaballo, African Stream, Kenya
Rania Khalek, BreakThrough News, Lebanon
Kai, Malaysia
Daniel Kent, Mexico
Alina Duarte, De Raíz, México
Amílcar Guerra, Personal, México
Colectivo Editorial Incendiar el Oceano, Colectivo Editorial Incendiar el Oceano, México
Maria Celi, Perú
Luis de Jesús, BreakThrough News, Puerto Rico
Selena Nadal, Exprimiendo La Calle, Puerto Rico
Edda López Serrano, Independiente, Puerto Rico
Artemiy Semenovskiy, Russia
Efemia Chela, Inkani Books, South Africa
Mqapheli, AbahlalibaseMjondolo, South Africa
Pretty Sinenhlanhla, South Africa
Richard, Academic & journalist, South Africa
S’bu. Zikode, Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA., South Africa
Solly Mapaila, Secretary General of the South African Communist Party and African Communist Journal Editor in Chief, South Africa
Thapelo Mohapi, Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA, South Africa
Vashna Jagarnath, NUMSA, South Africa
Satyaki Bhattacharya, Sweden
Kandis Sebro, Trinidad and Tobago
Ben Chacko, The Morning Star, UK
David Kwao Fianko, UK
Erol-Antony McKenzie, UK
Fiona Edwards, Eyes on Latin America, UK
Joe, Counter Punch, UK
Johnnie Hunter, Communist Party of Britain, UK
Prof Lyla Mehta, UK
Roger McKenzie, International Editor, Morning Star News, UK
Taj Ali, Tribune Magazine, UK
Aakansha Jain, US
Abby Martin, The Empire Files
Afnan Ismail, US
Amanda Yee, Liberation News, US
Amicia Huelsman, US
Andrew Bankson, Liberation News, US
Andrew Gilkey, The Party for Socialism and Liberation, US
Andrew Velasquez, Internet, US
Anlin Wang, US
Arjun Singh Sethi, Georgetown University Law Center, US
Asad Abukhalil, US
Austin Williams, US
Ben Norton, Geopolitical Economy Report, US
Ben Thomason, Academic, Bowling Green State University, US
Benjamin Zinevich, Liberation News, US
Bhaskar Sunkara, President, The Nation magazine, US
Bobby Ewing, US
Brayan Zambrano, US
Brian Becker, The Socialist Program, US
Calla Walsh, Freelance, US
Carli Barry, US
Charles Xu, Qiao Collective, US
Chris Banks, BreakThrough News, US
Christian Garramone, US
Chuck Modi, Independent, US
Claire Cook, US
Claudia O’Brien Moscoso, Black Agenda Report, US
Daljit K. Soni, Esq., US
Dana Alhasan, US
Danny Bettio, US
Daven McQueen, US
David Adler, US
Emily Brease, BreakThrough News, US
Erica Steib, US
Estevan Hernandez, US
Fadil Aliriza, Meshkal, US
Gerald Horne, Pacifica Radio/KPFK-Los Angeles, US
Gloria La Riva, Pacific Media Workers Guild, US
Hannah Dickinson, Breaking the Chains Magazine, US
Imani Lawrence, US
Jackie Kindall, BreakThrough News, US
Jacqueline Luqman, Luqman Nation, US
Jasmine Nicole Williams, artist, US
Jason Cohen, N/A, US
Jayson Boucher, US
Jodi Dean, US
Jodie Evans, CODEPINK, US
Jonathan Demetrius Amos, US
Josh Mayfield, US
Jordan Miller, US
Jorge Rocha, US
Joy-Douglass, US
Ju-Hyun Park, The Real News, US
Kalonji Changa, Black Power Media, US
Kameron Hurt, US
Karla Reyes, Breaking the Chains, US
Katie Halper, The Katie Halper Show, US
Kayla Trimble, US
Kei Pritsker, Breakthrough News, US
Keightley Wilkins, US
Ki-Jana Carter, Liberation News, US
Kim Ives, Haïti Liberté, US
Kit Baril, US
Layan Fuleihan, US
Lee Camp, Dangerous Ideas, US
Lillian House, US
Lyle McCormick, Liberation News, US
M. Lafond, US
Maddie, US
Malini Ranganathan, American University, US
Manolo De Los Santos, The People’s Forum, US
Manu Karuka, 1804 Books, US
Marissa Rodriguez, Liberation News, US
Maria Hermsen-Kritz, US
Mariam, US
Matt Leslie, Fightback! News, US
Maureen North, US
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, US
Micah Fong, Breakthrough News, US
Michael Anderson, FightBack! News, US
Mike Prysner, The Empire Files, US
Mirah Wood, DSA International Committee, USA
Miya Tada, US
Natalia Marques, Peoples Dispatch, US
National Lawyers Guild International, US
Nick Estes, Red Media, US
Patrick McWilliams, Liberation News, US
Patricia Gorky, US
Rachel Domond, Liberation News, US
Riley Petro, US
Ryan, The People’s Forum, US
Ryan Kidwiler, US
Saidi Moseley, US
Samantha Agarwal, American University, US
Sarah Brummet, US
Sarah Bryski-Hamrick, US
Santos Hernandez, US
Satya Mohapatra, US
Sean Blackmon, By Any Means Necessary, US
Sheila Xiao, US
shenby g, artist, US
Silvio Rodrigues, US
Suzanne Adely, US
Terra Collier, US
Ujju Aggarwal, US
Verdi Feltman, US
Vipulya Chari, US
Vivek Venkatraman, artist, US
Walter Smolarek, Liberation News, US
Will Kohr, US
William I Robinson, University of California at Santa Barbara, US
William Whiteman, Albuquerque Teachers Federation AFT Local 1420, US
Zach Farber, Liberation News, US
Zach, Breakthrough News, US
Zoe Alexandra, Peoples Dispatch, US
Carlos Molinares, Venezuela
Florangel Valdez, Venezuela
Giuliano, independent journalist, Venezuela
Laura Franco, Instituto Simón Bolívar, Venezuela
Luis Alfredo Mancera Pérez, Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Artes, Venezuela
Maribel Rosario, Defensoría Universitaria, Venezuela
Zabdiela, LSB, Venezuela
ALBA Movimientos
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Activist News Network
