“DIGIPUB News India Foundation strongly believes that the UAPA and Sedition laws should not be used to counter journalistic writings and pursuits,” the statement read.
New Delhi| The Digipub News India Foundation has issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the arrest of Manipur Journalists. Three journalists from the north-eastern state, The Frontier Manipur Editor-in-Chief Sadokpam Diren and Executive Editor Paojel
Chaoba, and writer M Joy Luwang, have been booked under the draconian UAPA.
They have also been charged under IPC Section 124A (Sedition).
The Manipur police arrested the three after the publication of an article “Revolutionary Journey In A Mess” written by M Joy Luwang on January 8.
Digipub News India Foundation in their statement called the cases against journalists an act against the right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the Indian constitution. “The piece in question is critical of the government — an act that every citizen of the country is entitled to. Arresting journalists for expressing their opinions is an attack on the free press. Political analysis and editorial writing are a part of a journalist’s work, not an act of terror,” the statement read.
https://twitter.com/DigipubIndia/status/1351432356192653316/photo/1
“DIGIPUB News India Foundation strongly believes that the UAPA and Sedition laws should not be used to counter journalistic writings and pursuits. If the state does not agree with a point of view published by a writer, they need to respond with arguments, a debate on the issue in question, and not arrest people,” it further added.
The foundation has welcomed the release of journalists Paojel Chaoba and Dhiren Sadokpam, it has condemned the case being pursued against then under the archaic and draconian laws.
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