<http://www.facebook.com/ajax/groups/docs/inline_edit_get.php?group_id=169124966444299&doc_id=170733532950109&permalink=1&show_brief=0> Press Release: Uphold Freedom of Expression. Condemn Communal Fascist Designs
See the press statement by 33 organisations in support of Tehelka Reporter Shahina KK, who faces charges from the Karnataka Police under IPC 506 for intimidating witnesses. Her expose in Tehelka showed how the police case against Abdul Nasar Madani, head of the People’s Democratic Front (PDP), accused in 2008 Bengaluru blasts, was fragile and based on non-existent and false testimonies. Circulate this to your press contacts .- Anivar *Uphold Freedom of Expression. Condemn Communal Fascist Designs* * * *W**e* the following organizations express our strong concern on the charges framed by Karnataka police against journalist Shahina KK for her investigative report on Bangalore bomb blast case. Her recent article which showed that witnesses in the Bangalore blast case were fragile, false and forced has led her to be implicated under charges of IPC 506 which can lead to seven years of imprisonment. The accusation of Karnataka police is that she ' intimidated the key witnesses' in the Bangalore bomb blast case during the course of her article. The accusations of the police were also carried by the local news papers as “suspicious” visit by a “group of Muslims” to the place. The newspapers said that police were not sure about the identity of the woman, though she had showed a TEHELKA identity card! Describing the incident in the article Shahina has pointed out that on her way to meet the witnesses, she and her colleagues were tailed by the police and received calls from the circle inspector, who enquired if Shahina was a *terrorist! * The case is not against her as an individual but it is a warning to the entire press community, women and minorities. We strongly condemn the attitude of the police to frame false charges on a reputed journalist in a nationally reputed magazine. We are aware that if the police can go to that extent, what the status of ordinary members of the minority community could be. We also condemn the tradition of some of the members of the press to repeat the false information of the police, which has very deep communal implications. We are shocked at the growing human rights violations in the name of tackling terrorism. Above all, the problems faced by Shahina is also a grave threat to freedom of expression and the incidents also warn us about the fascistic designs of the Sangh Parivar controlled Karnataka Government. We strongly urge the Karnataka Government to drop the charges against Shahina and create a harmonious environment for both freedom of expression as well as for the minorities. We appeal to all secular and democratic forces to express support for all similar victims of false charges faced by those who are regularly branded and charged due to the expression of the misuse of powers of the State machinery. * * *Endorsed by* 1. All india Secular Forum 2. People's Union for Civil Liberties 3. Keraleeyam Magazine, Thrissur 4. Padabhedam Magazine, Calicut 5. INSAF 6. Kerala Tourism Watch 7. South Indian Cell for Human Rights Education & Monitoring (SICHREM), Bangalore 8. ViBGYOR Film Collective, Thrissur 9. Common Concerns, Orissa 10. Moving Republic, Bangalore 11. Visual Search, Bangalore 12. New Socialist Alternative, Bangalore 13. Pedestrian Pictures 14. Kabani- The Other Direction 15. Orissa Concerns.net 16. Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike 17. Vettiver Collective, Chennai 18. Campaign for Justice and Peace-Tamil Nadu 19. South Asia Citizens Web (sacw.net) 20. Centre for Harmony and Peace, Varanasi 21. Dalit Mukti Morcha Chhattisgarh 22. Nava Janadhipthya Prasthanam (NDM) 23. Rural Education for Development Society, Tumkur 24. Booshakthi Vedike, Karnataka 25. Dalit Panchayat Movement, Tumkur District 26. Delhi Forum 27. Programme For Social Action 28. Asian Media Forum 29. Infochange Social Media, Pune 30. National Coailation for Social Watch, Delhi 31. Context India, Bangalore 32. Manasi Swasthya Sansthan,Indore 33. Saheli, Delhi *For Further Information* Shahina's report & Reporters comments http://www.tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename=Ne041210Why_is_this.asp Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association's statement http://www.milligazette.com/news/162-frame-up-after-frame-up-in-defence-of-k-k-shahina When Two Muslims Meet: The Media(ted) case of Madani and Shahina : The Fishpond http://thefishpond.in/ashraf/2010/when-two-muslims-meet/ -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
