UN experts protest harassment of journalist Rana Ayyub, India rejects allegation

India's permanent mission in Geneva said advancing a 'misleading narrative' only 'tarnishes' the reputation of the UN mission

India on Monday lodged a protest with the United Nations after two special rapporteurs affiliated to the Human Rights Council of the international organization issued a statement, criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for subjecting journalist Rana Ayyub to “legal harassment”.

India’s permanent mission at the United Nations offices in Geneva took to Twitter to reject the criticism by the two Special Rapporteurs. It is also likely to issue a note verbale to them, protesting against the “baseless and unwarranted” allegations against the Government of India.

The Government (of India) is not only failing in its obligation to protect Ayyub as a journalist, but through its own investigations against her, it is also contributing to and exacerbating her perilous situation, Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, alleged in a joint statement.

“It is imperative that the authorities take urgent measures to protect her from the onslaught of threats and hate online and end the investigation against her (Ayyub),” Lawlor and Khan stated.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week provisionally attached Rs 1.77 crore belonging to Ayyub in connection with a case of alleged money laundering. The ED had initiated a probe on the basis of a complaint lodged with the police in Uttar Pradesh that the journalist, who writes for Washington Post and other media outlets, had allegedly diverted a huge amount of funds collected through an online crowdfunding platform for helping poor people adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns enforced to contain it.

As with many of the spurious and defamatory accusations made against Ayyub in retaliation for her reporting, the false allegations can be traced back to a far-right social media group, the UN Special Rapporteurs stated.

They added that relentless misogynistic and sectarian attacks online against “independent investigative journalist” and “human rights defender” must be promptly and thoroughly investigated by the authorities in India and the judicial harassment against her should be brought to an end at once.

“Allegations of so-called judicial harassment are baseless & unwarranted. India upholds the rule of law, but is equally clear that no one is above the law,” the Permanent Mission of India at the UN offices in Geneva posted on Twitter. “We expect SRs (Special Rapporteurs) to be objective & (and) accurately informed. Advancing a misleading narrative only tarnishes @UNGeneva’s reputation.”

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