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Free Teesta Setalvad: Human Rights defenders stand with Teesta Setalvad

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 09:02:43 +0000

Voices of support are still pouring in for journalist, activist and educationist Teesta Setalvad even as she continues to remain behind bars, in a trumped-up case foisted upon her by a vindictive regime.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has called her detention arbitrary and demanded urgent international intervention into the matter. In a statement released recently, itsaid that she was detained “in retaliation to her legal actions seeking truth, justice, and reparation for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat communal riots, a series of acts of religious violence targeting the Muslim community, which resulted in the killing of at least 2,000 individuals. Ms. Setalvad is the co-founder and Secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP).”

The group also took umbrage to how she was treated during the entire ordeal, saying, “Ms. Setalvad has been arbitrarily detained since June 25, 2022. That day, officers of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat police entered her house in Mumbai, Maharashtra State, and arbitrarily detained her without a warrant. She was physically attacked in her house by the ATS officers when she requested to have access to her lawyer and had a large bruise on her left hand as a result. Moreover, she was not shown the First Information Report (FIR) filed against her until her lawyer arrived, one hour later. Police subsequently took her to Santa Cruz police station in Mumbai, where she filed a complaint against her arbitrary detention and the police’s physical assault, and expressing fear for her life while in custody.”

“The Observatory strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention of Teesta Setalvad, and of whistle-blowers Sanjiv Bhatt and R.B. Sreekumar, and expresses its utmost concern over the targeting and prosecution of Ms. Setalvad, as it is clearly aimed at punishing her for her work seeking justice for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots,” said the group, mincing no words. It called for her immediate and unconditional release. The entire statement may be read here.

Human Rights Watch, has also appealed for Setalvad’s immediate release saying, “The Indian authorities should immediately release the prominent human rights activist Teesta Setalvad, drop all charges against her, and stop their relentless attacks against her.” “These arrests are clearly reprisals for pursuing justice for victims of the Gujarat riots and attempting to hold those who were in power accountable,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “No one can deny that the violence occurred, or that there needs to be justice, and yet the authorities have been pursuing criminal charges against Teesta Setalvad for years now in an attempt to silence her.” The entire statement may be read here.

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, had also condemned Setalvad’s arrest, and called on the government of India “to stop targeting human rights defenders. The arrest is the latest attempt by the Modi government to criminalise activists and undermine civic space in the country.”

“The arrest of human rights defender Teesta Setalvad is a clear tactic to intimidate and silence her for her activism around the Gujarat massacre, especially for justice and accountability. The authorities must halt the judicial harassment against her, drop the trumped-up charges and release her immediately and unconditionally,” said Josef Benedict, CIVICUS Asia Pacific researcher. The entire statement may be read here.

Earlier, the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a group of former civil servants, has made an open statement on the Supreme Court order in the Zakia Jafri case, saying that they “are deeply anguished by some of the contents of that judgement and the arrests that have followed in its wake.”

As many as 92 people including former Mumbai top cop Julio Ribeiro, activist Aruna Roy, former secretary of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) PSS Thomas, former Home Secretary GK Pillai, former Joint Commissioner of Police (Delhi) Maxwell Pereira were signatories to the statement.

The CCG said, “It is not just the dismissal of the appeal that has surprised people – an appeal may, after all, be allowed or dismissed by an appellate court; it is the gratuitous comments that the bench has pronounced on the appellants and the counsel and the supporters of the appellants.”

The group also minced no words in describing the shocking aftermath of the judgment, saying, “The immediate action of the state in arresting human rights lawyer Teesta Setalvad and former DGP, RB Sreekumar, as well as filing a fresh case against Sanjiv Bhatt, who is already in prison, clearly occurred because the Supreme Court told the State government authorities to put those who ‘kept the pot boiling’ ‘in the dock’, though these persons were neither the appellants nor the accused in the case.” The entire statement may be read here.

Furthermore, over 2,200 people from across the globe had signed a statement demanding the immediate release of journalist and human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and former DGP Gujarat police RB Sreekumar.

Leading signatories such as People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) General Secretary V. Suresh, National Association of People’s Movements (NAPM) Convenor Medha Patkar, former Navy Chief Admiral Ramdas, former Lucknow University Vice Chancellor Roop Rekha Verma, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) founder Aruna Roy, Carnatic musician TM Krishna, actor and dancer Mallika Sarabhai, writer and scholar Shabnam Hashmi, poet Gauhar Raza, and thousands of others signed a statement condemning the government’s prosecution of the activist and former IPS officers.

“The state has now used the observations made in the judgment to falsely and vindictively prosecute those who had struggled for justice even in the face of state callousness and complicity. It is truly an Orwellian situation of the lie becoming the truth, when those who fought to establish the truth of what happened in the Gujarat genocide of 2002 are being targeted,” they said in a statement released on June 27.They further said, “We condemn this naked and brazen attempt to silence and criminalise those who stand for constitutional values and who have struggled against very difficult odds to try to achieve justice for the victims of 2002. We demand that this false and vindictive FIR be taken back unconditionally and Teesta Setalvad and others detained under this FIR be released immediately.” The entire statement may be read here.

In fact, educationist Roop Rekha Verma, who is the former Vice Chancellor of the Lucknow University,issued another more personal statement saying, “I have known Teesta Setalvad for more than 30 years. She is a soulmate! An uncompromising fighter for human rights. A fearless champion of equal citizenship and rule of law. Teesta has always stood for liberal values, equal citizenship and composite culture. She has raised unequivocal voice against all forms of divisive and backward-looking conduct.”

She further said, “I know closely how she has risked her safety in order to get justice to the victims of violence irrespective of the victim’s caste or creed. Today, when she herself is the victim of injustice, I wish to declare that I stand with her. I support her cause of justice, rule of law and democratic values. I demand withdrawal of all cases fabricated against her.”

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Free Teesta Setalvad: Indian intelligentsia bats for Teesta Setalvad

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 13:11:39 +0000

As Teesta Setalvad prepares to appear for her bail hearing before the court of Additional Sessions Judge DD Thakkar on Friday, July 8, more and more legal luminaries, activists, academics, journalists and influential human rights groups have showcased support for her.

In an opinion piece for The Wire, human right lawyer Prashant Bhushan rights, “The arrest of human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and R.B. Sreekumar, the former additional director general police, by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on the basis of a first information report (FIR) that copiously draws on the Supreme Court judgment in the Zakia Ehsan Jafri case is patently malafide.” In the piece titled Zakia Jafri Case: Another ‘Arresting’ Judgment in Favour of BJP and Narendra Modi Bhushan refers to the Supreme Court’s remarks about Setalvad and other whistleblowers, and goes on to say, “Such an order is unprecedented for a constitutional court that is tasked as the custodian of people’s fundamental rights and is mandated to be a neutral arbiter of justice at the highest level. It is appalling for the Supreme Court to openly prod the authorities to bring to book those who fearlessly and selflessly undertook a difficult battle against the State and police authorities at all levels of the judiciary for many years, with the hope to bring justice to the victims of the 2002 Godhra riots.” The entire piece may be read here.

Another legal luminary, Justice Madan B Lokur, a former judge of the Supreme Court, wrote a piece for The Wire titled Condemned by Innuendo: Some Questions on the SC Order That Led to Teesta Setalvad’s Arrest, and asked, “Did the Supreme Court intend or suggest that Teesta Setalvad should be arrested?” He says, “Whatever your answer, the implications are horrendous,” adding, “If your answer to the question is ‘yes,’ don’t you think it is tragic that the Supreme Court has taken upon itself to unilaterally decide who should be arrested and why? That is certainly not the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, as we know it, except in the case of contempt of court. And, even in a case of contempt, the Supreme Court hears the alleged contemnor before judgment and arrest.” Then he examines the possibility that the SC did not suggest Teesta Setalvad’s arrest and requests them to “please explain or get someone to explain what prompted the Anti-Terrorism Squad to drive or fly down to Mumbai to arrest Teesta?” The entire piece may be read here.

Delhi University Professor Apoorvanand, who has himself faced the wrath of a vindictive regime, has also penned a piece about Setalvad in Scroll. In the piece titled How India has become a land of conspiracies that turns warriors battling injustice into villains, he refers to the SC’s observations in the Zakia Jafri case and writes, “We are in a world in which language is puffed up to appear as bombastic as the alleged action itself. Reading FIRs and charge sheets filed by the Indian police always violates one’s linguistic sensibility. Now court judgments have started competing with them.” He adds, “What is common to all these is that the victims of violence or the people speaking on their behalf or working to secure justice for them have themselves been turned into conspirators. They have been accused of conspiring against the state itself, either to defame it or destablize it. The state and “the leader” have become synonymous.” The entire piece may be read here.

Gujarat High Court advocate Anand Yagnik also held a meeting at his office that was attended by other lawyers, civil society members and journalists. He was quoted by media persons as saying, “This order, particularly the questionable observations, go beyond the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had only one point to decide on — whether an FIR had to be registered or not (against the then state functionaries who had allegedly derelicted their duty). The Supreme Court at the most could have said that there is no prima facie evidence on the basis of the investigation by SIT for registering an FIR.” He further asked, “We have never ever come across an instance in a judgement delivered by the Supreme Court which says ‘it (pursuing legal remedies) is malicious’. Where is the ground for them to say it is malicious?”

At the same gathering senior Supreme Court advocate Kamini Jaiswal reportedly said that the observations of the Supreme Court in para 88 of the judgment were “completely illegal, unconstitutional and violates every tenet of law and fundamental rights.”

In an opinion piece in NDTV, senior journalist Sagarika Ghose pointed out the curious coincidence of Teesta Setalvad’s arrest taking place on the anniversary of the day Emergency was declared in 1975. In the piece titled Opinion: Teesta Setalvad’s Arrest Shows Spread Of “Emergency Mindset”, Ghose writes, “The timing was eerie. On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency. On that very day, over four decades later, on June 25, 2022, civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad was dragged out of her Mumbai home by the Gujarat police which barged into her house and marched her out into a waiting police jeep. On the same day, former Gujarat police officer RB Sreekumar was arrested in Ahmedabad. As India recalled the 1975 June day when Indira Gandhi’s police hauled dozens of Opposition politicians and journalists to jail, in a stark reminder, on the same day, India again saw state power bearing down on an individual citizen.” The piece may be read here.

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Teesta Setalvad’s arrest shows how our rights are being trampled upon: Rights groups

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 11:15:32 +0000

The fact that journalist, activist and educationist Teesta Setalvad is even today a shining beacon of hope and a source of inspiration for many ordinary Indians is evident in how the demands for her release are growing with each passing day.

The latest solidarity statement was made in Raichur on July 4, 2022 when the Karnataka Janashakti held its third state conference. According to The Hindu, various social movements representatives gathered on the first day of the event. Setalvad was supposed to inaugurate the event, prior to her sudden arrest by Gujarat ATS. Days after her arrest, former Gujarat State DGP R B Sreekumar was also arrested. To condemn this absence, attendees waved black flags and raised slogans protesting her arrest.

Progressive writer Rahamat Tarikere delivered the inaugural address in her stead, expressing concern over the increasing arrests of activists and writers for criticising the government. He talked about how people are put behind bars not for doing crimes but opposing crimes.

“Writers, journalists, activists, and artists such as stand-up comedians who opposed the State for its anti-people and peace-disturbing governance are subjected to suppression. Threat, assault and jail, and even murder, have become the order of the day. We are in such a pathetic and dangerous situation where journalists who were supposed to condemn the atrocities on their fellow professionals are celebrating the attacks,” Mr. Tarikere told The Hindu.

The speech came a day after solidarity protests in Kolkata and Chennai. The Association for Protection fo Democratic Rights (APDR) members flooded the streets of West Bengal’s capital. Thousands gathered on June 3 to condemn the targeted attack on Setalvad, Sreekumar and other whistle-blower Sanjiv Bhatt.

Similarly, the All India Lawyers Union (AILU) held yet another demonstration in support of Setalvad, this time in Kolkata. Members decried the highhandedness of the regime and demanded the immediate release of the journalist and other human rights defenders.

On June 2, the Chennai Chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) organised a gathering to condemn the arrest of Alt News co-founder Zubair Ahmed, Setalvad, Sreekumar and Bhatt. The event was organised by advocate V. Suresh and Jayaram Venkatesan. People sang songs of solidarity in support of the activist and others.

Organised by @VSuresh_Rights of @PUCLindia @JayaramArappor to protest the arrests of @zoo_bear @TeestaSetalvad DGP Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhatt today. Was wonderful to participate and thanks to @s_kanth for spreading awareness about this event. #IStandWithZubair pic.twitter.com/mESfBHjK7v

— Wandering Alfie (@wanderingalfie) July 2, 2022

Simultaneously, the PUCL ran another protest in Coimbatore with an all-party delegation in front of the Coimbatore South Taluk office. According to The Hindu, protesters called it a “bad precedent” to victimise Setalvad and Sreekumar and compared the current status quo to an “undeclared emergency”.

Meanwhile, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also voiced deep concern about India’s free speech and religious freedom conditions. Commissioner David Curry said, “USCIRF is concerned about the Indian government’s continued repression of critical voices— especially religious minorities and those reporting on and advocating for them.”

This tweet was accompanied by an article that covered Setalvad’s ordeal. In the same Twitter thread, Commissioner Stephen Schneck said, “Human rights advocates, journalists, activists, and faith leaders in India face harassment for speaking out and reporting religious freedom conditions. This is not reflective of a country with a history of democracy.”

This was coupled with an article on Alt News Co-Founder Mohammed Zubair’s arrest.

USCIRF recommends #India be designated as a CPC for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including the repression of critical voices speaking out against these violations.

Read more in USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report: https://t.co/uradREABDk

— USCIRF (@USCIRF) July 1, 2022

USCIRF Commissioner David Curry: “USCIRF is concerned about the Indian government’s continued repression of critical voices— especially religious minorities and those reporting on and advocating for them.” https://t.co/wj3N5WsrUJ

— USCIRF (@USCIRF) July 1, 2022

The USCIRF recommended that India be designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including the repression of critical voices speaking out against these violations.

According to The Hindu, the Government of India took umbrage to this statement. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson responded to the tweets by saying, “USCIRF continues to misrepresent facts time and again in its statements and reports in pursuance of its motivated agenda. Such actions only serve to strengthen concerns about the credibility and objectivity of the organization.” It accused the U.S. State department of vote bank politics, “biased and inaccurate” comments that showed a lack of understanding of India’s constitutional framework, plurality and democratic ethos.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury too condemned the “travesty” of the Supreme Court vacation bench order that led to Setalvad’s arrest and 14 day custody.

“This is sheer vendetta. A larger SC bench must review this Order,” he said.

It’s a travesty that the order of the vacation bench of SC was used to arrest Teesta Setalvad & now her 14 day custody. This is sheer vendetta.
A larger SC bench must review this Order. pic.twitter.com/S3JnSzxBhZ

— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) July 2, 2022

The social media handle of the Indian National Congress shared a video describing Setalvad’s plight in recent years.

तीस्ता की जंग…#Teesta pic.twitter.com/EmY2W2kMIe

— INC TV (@INC_Television) July 3, 2022

Aside from these, many opinion pieces in support of Setalvad and her work have been written in the Times of India, The Tribune, Deccan Herald, The Wire, Sarvoday Jagat, The Hindu and many other publications.

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Mapping solidarity: 26 protests so far demanding Teesta Setalvad’s release

Sat, 02 Jul 2022 12:56:23 +0000

Police in parts of India continue to prevent gatherings in support of arrested human rights activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad. By July 2, 2022 there had been 26 solidarity protests across India to demand the immediate release of Setalvad and 2002 Gujarat riots whistle-blowers R. B. Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt. However, two requests for permission were rejected.

A day after the Zakia Jafri case was dismissed by the Supreme Court, the 60-year-old activist was accused of criminal conspiracy and forgery. Former Gujarat State DGP Sreekumar was named as her co-conspirator and arrested as well.

However, many activist collectives, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers have since held protests across various cities of India including local villages like that of Chitrakoot and Sonbhadra to condemn the arrest. There was a protest organised by the lawyers of the Madras High Court condemning the ruling regime for its bulldozer tactics.

Four days after Setalvad’s arrest, over 20 city-wide protests, 10 solidarity statements across the globe made the news – all decrying the government for penalising those who demand accountability. By Saturday, the number of protests touched 26, while 12 solidarity statements were issued by rights groups. This includes international groups like the Human Rights Watch, the Frontline Defenders and the WGHR.

The map would have accounted for 28 protests in total but the first one in Bhopal on June 28 was denied permission by the local police. It cited MCC guidelines for rejecting the gathering reported the Free Press Journal.

The other protest was to be held on Saturday, the same day as Setalvad and Sreekumar’s hearing. Yet this time, the Concerned Citizens of Goa received a letter from the Fatorda police station that said it cannot grant permission for a solidarity protest owing to “rise in Covid-19 positive cases and to avoid law and order situation”. Further, the Margao Traffic Cell “strongly objected from traffic point of view”. It may be noted that both of these are BJP-rules states.

All these efforts in support of the voices of dissent can be seen on the following map.

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A week in the life of human rights defender Teesta Setalvad

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 17:57:03 +0000

Image Courtesy: jantakareporter.com

On July 2, it will be exactly a week since Teesta Setalvad, one of India’s most formidable and resilient human rights defenders, was targeted and held captive by a vindictive regime. But as is evident in the burgeoning support for her, both online and on the streets, you may put Teesta Setalvad behind bars, you cannot cage her courage, which is even today inspiring countless others.

The shocking events of June 25, 2022

Just a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition (PIL) moved by Zakia Jafri seeking a proper investigation into the wider conspiracy behind the 2002 Gujarat carnage, a team of the Gujarat Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) barged into her Mumbai home and detained her.

The petition had been moved by Zakia Jafri, the widow of slain Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Ehsan Jafri, who had been killed during the communal violence in Gulberg Society. Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) secretary Teesta Setalvad was the second petitioner in the case that aimed to pin the responsibility of allowing the violence to continue unabated on the people in power in Gujarat at the time.

But deeming this to be a malicious prosecution, the court had observed in its judgment, “As a matter of fact, all those involved in such abuse of process, need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with law.”

The above extract was quoted in a complaint filed on behalf of the State, and today, Teesta Setalvad, a fearless human rights defender stands accused of criminal conspiracy, forgery and giving or fabricating false evidence among other IPC sections. Two former police officers, RB Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt have also been named as her co-conspirators in the FIR. While Bhatt is already in jail under trumped-up charges in a custodial death case, Sreekumar was arrested shortly after Setalvad was picked up.

Setalvad says she was roughed up as she was picked up from her Mumbai home and taken to the Santacruz police station, where she was placed under arrest, and at the time of publishing this press release, was being taken to the Ahmedabad Crime Branch by road.

At about 5:30 P.M, just before being whisked away to Ahmedabad, Setalvad filed a hand written complaint with the Santacruz Police Station saying Police Inspector JH Patel of the ATS Ahmedabad and a lady officer in civil clothes came into her bedroom and assaulted her when she demanded to speak to her lawyer. Setalvad says that she was not shown the First Information Report (FIR) or a warrant till her lawyer arrived.

In her complaint, Setalvad has also stated that the assault left her with a bruise on her left hand, and that she feared for her life.

In Ahmedabad, Setalvad was formally arrested, and taken for a mandatory medical test on Sunday June 26, before being produced before a magistrate. She was remanded to police custody and her next hearing will take place on June 2.

Teesta Setalvad doing okay in custody

Teesta Setalvad’s activist-journalist husband Javed Anand has met her twice so far. “I met her just before they took her for the mandatory medical check-up. She appeared fine,” he said about meeting her on June 28. “She has no complaints about the food and is also sleeping okay. When I meet her, it is in a room with a table and chair, with police personnel nearby,” he added.

On June 29, he told us, “I met her again today and she told me that she had been questioned by the police for around four hours yesterday.” Setalvad is also being allowed to meet her lawyers. “She seemed relaxed. I was allowed to give her some books for light reading, and some other essential items. She asked me for a copy of The Framing of the Indian Constitution,” said the activist-journalist who co-founded the magazine Communalism Combat as well as SabrangIndia with his human rights defender wife.

Setalvad will now be presented before the magistrate’s court at 2:30 P.M on July 2.

Support from Human Rights groups

The Working Group of Human Rights in India and the United Nations (WGHR) on June 27, 2022 expressed deep concern about the arrest of member Teesta Setalvad by the Government of India.

“It reflects an aggressive abuse of power and law by the State machinery, in grave breach of the rights and freedoms guaranteed to citizens under the Indian Constitution. This turn of events has also raised questions about the Government’s commitments to human rights and Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), not just domestically but also at the global level,” said the WGHR in a statement.

Many notable Indian activists such as People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) General Secretary V. Suresh, National Association of People’s Movements (NAPM) Convenor Medha Patkar, former Navy Chief Admiral Ramdas, former Lucknow University Vice Chancellor Rooprekha Verma, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) founder Aruna Roy, Carnatic musician TM Krishna, actor and dancer Mallika Sarabhai, writer and scholar Shabnam Hashmi, poet Gauhar Raza, and over 2,200 others signed a statement condemning the government’s prosecution of the activist and former IPS officers.

They say, “The state has now used the observations made in the judgment to falsely and vindictively prosecute those who had struggled for justice even in the face of state callousness and complicity. It is truly an Orwellian situation of the lie becoming the truth, when those who fought to establish the truth of what happened in the Gujarat genocide of 2002 are being targeted.”

“We condemn this naked and brazen attempt to silence and criminalize those who stand for constitutional values and who have struggled against very difficult odds to try to achieve justice for the victims of 2002. We demand that this false and vindictive FIR be taken back unconditionally and Teesta Setalvad and others detained under this FIR be released immediately,” said signatories.

Previously, Elaine Pearson, the Acting Asia Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) had urged governments at the G-7 summit that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending at present to raise questions about Setalvad’s arrest. HRW has released a statement saying, “The Indian authorities should immediately release the prominent human rights activist Teesta Setalvad, drop all charges against her & stop their relentless attacks against her.”

“These arrests are clearly reprisals for pursuing justice for victims of the Gujarat riots and attempting to hold those who were in power accountable,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

This is yet another example of international support for Setalvad after Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders demanded Setalvad’s release saying, “Teesta is a strong voice against hatred and discrimination. Defending human rights is not a crime.”

Similarly, international humanitarian organisation Amnesty’s India unit, that has itself faced persecution on trumped up pertaining to obtaining foreign funds, had also called Setalvad’s arrest “a direct reprisal against those who dare to question their human rights record,” and said, “It sends a chilling message to the civil society & further shrinks the space for dissent in the country.”

Journalists demand justice for Teesta Setalvad

Closer home, the Mumbai Press Club has condemned the human rights defender’s arrest saying that she has been made a scapegoat “in a chilling process of vendetta unleashed by the executive and the judiciary.” They have further said, “It is unacceptable that a person who has been fighting for civil justice should be accused of fabricating evidence and misleading the Special Investigation Team.” Calling for an end to the “politics of vengeance”, they have also demanded that all charges be dropped against Setalvad and she be released immediately.

In a joint statement, the National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ) and the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) condemned the “ugly and motivated, hasty arrest” of Setalvad. NAJ President S. K. Pande and DUJ General Secretary Sujata Modhak among others said, “The arrests smack of an increasingly visible undeclared Emergency that is increasingly becoming visible in continued attacks not only on the freedom of the press but on the democratic rights of citizens which are being bulldozed. Simultaneously, the police seem to be increasingly utilised in witch-hunting of selected persons.”

“The ATS’s dubious explanation at the time that Setalvad was not arrested but detained for questioning also holds no water. A 60-year-old activist with strong roots in the community, Setalvad is not a flight risk and should be questioned by female officers in her home as per law,” said the NWMI in a press statement.

Support from groups and individuals opposing NRC-CAA

Dr. Hiren Gohain, a noted Assamese intellectual who has been at the forefront of the demand to scrap the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Assam has also come out in support of Teesta Setalvad given how CJP teams have been working tirelessly in Assam to provide legal and paralegal aid to Indian citizens in need in Assam.

CJP had not only helped over 12 lakh Indians fill out NRC application forms, we have also assisted over 50 people in getting released from detention centres during the Covid-19 pandemic in accordance with orders passed by the Supreme Court and the Gauhati High Court. Dr. Gohain has expressed “deep shock” at the “bewildering turn of events that have led to the shocking arrest of noted human rights activist Teesta Setalvad on fantastic charges of wilful and malicious pursuit of subverting justice, implicating innocents in grave crimes to ruin their reputation with forgery and fraud, and exploiting sentiments of victims of spontaneous riots and violence.”

The Joint Forum against NRC has also issued a statement condemning the arrest calling it a “naked act of political vendetta” and condemned how “the complainants are now being accused of conspiracy and being persecuted.” Hailing Teesta Setalvad for her “relentless crusade against perpetrators of the Gujarat pogrom of 2002”, they also praised “her role in defence of those incarcerated in detention centres and the vulnerable NRC-excluded people in Assam” calling it “inspiring”.

In a recent press statement released in wake of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, the Press Club of India said, “We also see the arrest of activist Teesta Setalvad as very disturbing as it also smacks of vendetta.”

Public meetings and protests

Meanwhile public meetings and peaceful protests are being organized across the country everyday. Protests were held in Kolkata, Bangalore, Varanasi, Patna, Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Ranchi, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Lucknow, Allahabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dhulia, Raipur etc.

On June 28, in a beautiful example of women supporting women, over 500 Adivasi women with their children from UP’s Sonebhadra district, came together to condemn the shocking arrest of Teesta Setalvad. The protest was called by All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) and the union’s president Sokalo Gond expressed solidarity with Setalvad.

Gond said, “We condemn the Gujarat government for arresting Teesta Setalvad. We stand with her. We will stand with her whenever necessary.” Readers would recall that when Sokalo Gond had been arrested on trumped-up charges, merely for leading the grassroots movement for community forest rights, it was Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) under Setalvad that assisted the AIUFWP to secure her release.

On June 30, 2022, a newly launched broad-based alliance Solidarity for the Prisoners of Conscience in India expressed solidarity with Setalvad saying, “What the present government is doing is “Governance by Fear” in its rawest form.”

Similarly, Bangla Sanskriti Manch, working with Bengali speaking migrant workers voiced solidarity with Setalvad. Her organisation Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) had delivered food to thousands of starving workers in Mumbai during Covid-19.

“It is astonishing to think that national politics is becoming so vicious that a real philanthropist and human rights activist has been trapped in a false case and taken in custody. But no Opposition political party has really opposed this ultimate state oppression,” said the Manch in a press release.

Odisha’s citizens gathered in the capital city of Bhubaneswar on June 30, 2022 to condemn the “naked attack” on dissent. Students, youth, women, intellectuals, journalists, political activists and lawmakers joined the protest on Thursday, called by various democratic and human rights organisations. Led by senior journalist Ravi Das, Prof. Birendra Nayak, eminent environmentalist Prafulla Samantara amongst others, the civic protest decried the BJP-led central government’s attack on dissent and democratic rights.

Others at the protest were Equality Council member Abhiram Mallick, journalist Sudhir Patnaik, Professor Vijay Bahidar, human rights lawyer Vishwapriya Kanungo, columnist Amiya Pandav, Revolutionary Women’s Organization’s Pramila Behera, All India Students’ Union State leader Sanghamitra Jena, Democratic Rights Protection Organization’s Debranjan, All India People’s Forum’s Banshidhar Parida, National Hawkers’ Federation’s Jayant Das, social activists Sasmita Jena, Srimanta Mohanty, Sandeep Patnaik, researcher Nigmananda Sarangi, social activists Kalyan Anand, Bishwanath Patra, Manas Patnaik, Samajwadi Party’s Sudarshan Pradhan, Eju Aamir Khan, etc.

This includes anti-Jindal Spokesperson Prashant Paikray who asked, “If Setalvad is arrested for fighting for the victims then what about us activists who speak for local villagers? We all are anti-nationals and they alone [the ruling regime] are nationalists?”

Many political leaders from various opposition parties have also come out in support of Teesta Setalvad:

Among politicians, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called out the regime’s “habit of targeting opponents and infringing on civil liberties”.

W’out entering into the merits or any specifics of the case (which we must leave to the courts to decide), I deplore GoI’s habit of targeting opponents& infringing on civil liberties, of which the arrest of @TeestaSetalvad is the latest example. India’s democracy is our strength!

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 26, 2022

Similarly, CPI (M) Politburo member Brinda Karat also came out in support of Setalvad and called her arrest a “very vindictive action” by the regime. She warns that such actions are an “ominous threat to all democratic citizens” who dare to question the role of authorities in the spread of communal violence.

Comrade Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau Member of the CPI(M) speaks on arrest of activist Teesta Setalvad. pic.twitter.com/SnjlLTWis8

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) June 26, 2022

Mehbooba Mufti, president of the JKPDP was appalled that the SC judgment was being “being used to punish the seekers of justice.”

Appalled that standing with the victims has been criminalised & asking for justice is equated with hatching conspiracies. To make matters worse, this judgement which should’ve served a closure is instead being used to punish the seekers of justice. https://t.co/sVOFblnKhn

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) June 26, 2022

Jignesh Mevani too, who was recently himself targeted by a vindictive regime, tweeted, “Teesta Setalvad is paying the price for upholding truth. She has always stood for the poor & marginalized, fought against Human Right violations across the country. But those that act against the interest of the poor are roaming free. This is New India!”

#TeestaSetalvad is paying the price for upholding truth. She has always stood for the poor & marginalized, fought against Human Right violations across the country. But those that act against the interest of the poor are roaming free. This is New India! #TeestaSetalvadArrested

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) June 26, 2022

The post A week in the life of human rights defender Teesta Setalvad appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Free Teesta Setalvad: Now Bhubaneswar stands with Teesta

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 11:22:39 +0000

In solidarity with human rights activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad and others, Odisha’s citizens gathered in the capital city of Bhubaneswar on June 30, 2022 to condemn the “naked attack” on dissent.

Students, youth, women, intellectuals, journalists, political activists and lawmakers joined the protest on Thursday, called by various democratic and human rights organisations. Led by senior journalist Ravi Das, Prof. Birendra Nayak, eminent environmentalist Prafulla Samantara amongst others, the civic protest decried the BJP-led central government’s attack on dissent and democratic rights.

People demanded release of the 60-year-old activist as well as 2002 Gujarat riots whistle-blowers RB Sreekumar, Sanjiv Bhatt. The former two were arrested a day after the Supreme Court dismissed the Zakia Jafri case. Similarly, AltNews Co-Founder Mohammad Zubair was arrested shortly after Setalvad and Sreekumar’s arrest for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

Condemning these series of events, protesters said that the apex court has created a sick tradition of sending social and human rights activists to jail rather than giving justice to victims. Members said the court had penalised dissenters for assisting victims in the legal battle. Even Opposition political parties called for a boycott of the assembly, citing “ridicule of the constitution and the use of force against the judiciary”.

For years now, the anti-Jindal movement (formerly the anti-POSCO movement) has been fighting for Jagatsinghpur’s local adivasi groups in Dhinkia village. Residents have long since demanded that the government stop handing the nearby forest land for developing projects without the permission of gram sabhas as per the Forest Rights Act 2006.

Setalvad and Sreekumar face charges of criminal conspiracy and forgery. Worse still, the FIR went as far as to make the case that the time period of the offense ranged from January 1, 2002 to June 25, 2022. This effectively includes every effort for justice for the 2002 victims, be it petitions filed in the High Court, Supreme Court or the Magistrates’ Court – all of which are sought to be criminalized.

Supporters of the activist decried the FIR that prevents Setalvad from making the state accountable in establishing guilt of those accused of serious crimes and calling for victims’ justice. It also deters citizens from holding the State accountable, in effect conveying that the State can do no wrong.

The post Free Teesta Setalvad: Now Bhubaneswar stands with Teesta appeared first on SabrangIndia.