Press Statements
PUCL Condemns NIA Raids on Human Rights Defenders and Rights Organisation in AP and Telangana on 2nd October, 2023
03 Oct, 2023Dissent is a symbol of a vibrant Democracy: Don’t muzzle and persecute voices of opposition! PUCL strongly condemns and deplores the raids by NIA officials on 02nd October, 2023 at 62 locations across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states and the arrest of one person in Sri Sathya Sai district, as being nothing but a witch hunt o...
Condemn Police Raids on Journalists and Media Houses: Stop Criminalising Journalists and Intimidating the Media!
03 Oct, 2023The PUCL strongly condemns the raid on houses and offices of journalists, commentators and activists connected with Newsclick and other media professionals. It is shocking that the police is investigating a case under draconian terror sections 13,16, 17, 18 and 22C of the UAPA and sec. 153 (A) (hate speech) and 120 (B) (conspiracy...
MANIPUR POLICE: STOP CRIMINALISING BASIC TOOLS OF ENQUIRY LIKE FACT FINDING AND ANALYSIS
05 Sep, 2023IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW THE FIR FILED AGAINST THE EDITOR’S GUILD OF INDIA MEMBERS The PUCL strongly condemns the two motivated and malicious FIRs filed by the Manipur police against 3 members of a Fact-Finding Team constituted by the Editors Guild of India, Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor and the president of EGI, Seem...
PUCL demands the closure and halting of investigation of the NIA based on which raids in 8 locations of 5 districts of UP were undertaken today
05 Sep, 2023All the devices and books of Seema Azad, National secretary of the PUCL and similarly of others seized by the NIA be returned immediately PUCL demands from the MHA to stop criminalising activism aimed at realising the directive principles of state policy as anti-national. The PUCL is outraged that the house of its National ...
PUCL Maharashtra Statement on Murders by RPF constable Chetan Singh on July 31, 2023
08 Aug, 2023Alarm bells must set off in the country on the hate killings by RPF constable Chetan Singh! PUCL Maharashtra is shocked by the ghastly hate killings by RPF constable Chetan Singh of his superior officer RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and three Muslim passengers Abdul Qadir bhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala, Asgar Abbas...
PUCL's Demands regarding Manipur Crisis
30 Jul, 2023The PUCL conducted a virtual Public Dialogue on Saturday, 29th July, 2023 inviting women leaders and others from the various communities in Manipur to speak about the incidents occurring in Manipur over the last 3 months. This followed several discussions with Doctors, Social Workers, Counsellors and others who had visited Manipur...
PUCL demands Manipur Government to Stop Criminalizing Human Rights Work!
10 Jul, 2023PUCL Demands from the Manipur Government: Stop Criminalising Human Rights Work! Respect the fundamental rights of citizens to conduct Fact Finding Enquiries and publish their reports for public discussion. Immediately withdraw FIR against Annie Raja, Nisha Siddhu & Deeksha Dwivedi of NFIW for releasing Fact Finding report af...
PUCL on Law Commission Report on Sedition
26 Jun, 2023The Report by the Law Commission of India headed by former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice, Ritu Lal Awasthi, has signally failed to contribute to dislodging the colonial and unconstitutional offense of sedition from the statute books. Instead the Report recommends a minor modification of Section 124-A of the IPC, ignoring ...
Stop Encounter Killings in UP: End State lawlessness!
19 Apr, 2023Doubts arise about Complicity of UP Police in killing of Atiq & Ashraf Ahmed: Questions to be answered by UP Police. Why did the UP Police not seek ‘Police Custody’ of the killers of Atiq and Ashraf Ahmed when produced for remand before Duty Magistrate on 16.04.2023 itself, and agree to Judicial Custody? If the kill...
Stop the Witch-hunt of Journalists and Human Rights Activists in Kashmir: Release Irfan Mehraj, Khurram Parvez as well as Aasif Sultan, Sajad Gul, and Fahad Shah
31 Mar, 2023The PUCL strongly condemns the arrest of Irfan Mehraj, a Srinagar based freelance journalist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 20th March, 2023 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The arrest of Irfan Mehraj was pursuant to an FIR registered in 2020, in which human rights activist, Khurram Pervez was ...