Shorts
Pen Delhi issues a statement against the incarceration of columnist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra
The Delhi centre of Pen International, a worldwide association of writers, has issued a strong statement against the arrest and incarceration of columnist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra. The statement notes: “The shocking state action against Iyer-Mitra highlights once more and irrevocably how draconian the country’s colonial era anti-free speech laws are and how they may be misused at the leisure of anyone wishing to harass a writer in this country.” It calls for the release of Iyer-Mitra and the quashing of charges against him by the authorities concerned. “This attack on his rights sets a dangerous precedent and makes every writer in this country vulnerable to similar attacks,” it notes.
Iyer-Mitra was charged under Section 295A by the Odisha Police for a video he shot outside the Konark Temple. He was denied relief from arrest by the Supreme Court and has since been in jail.
Also Read
-
Kutch: Struggle for water in ‘har ghar jal’ Gujarat, salt workers fight for livelihoods
-
Hafta 483: Prajwal Revanna controversy, Modi’s speeches, Bihar politics
-
Can Amit Shah win with a margin of 10 lakh votes in Gandhinagar?
-
TV Newsance 251: TV media’s silence on Revanna ‘sex abuse’ case, Modi’s News18 interview
-
Amid Lingayat ire, BJP invokes Neha murder case, ‘love jihad’ in Karnataka’s Dharwad