The Alumni Association of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, and the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), have condemned the Egyptian authorities’ actions against Maktoob journalist Nikita Jain and urged the Indian government and the Indian Embassy in Cairo to intervene urgently, ensure the return of her passport, and allow her to carry out her professional duties as a journalist.
Nikita Jain, a 2016–2017 alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), who was covering the “Global March to Gaza,” a movement aimed at pressuring authorities to open the Rafah border crossing and end the humanitarian blockade on Gaza, was among several pro-Palestinian activists detained on June 13.
The Alumni Association of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, has issued a statement condemning the “detention” of Nikita Jain by Egyptian authorities, seeking urgent intervention from the Government of India and the Indian Embassy in Cairo.
The march saw participation from nearly 1,000 people across Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, as well as international activists and journalists from countries including India, the USA, Australia, France, Spain, Algeria, and the Netherlands. It was stopped in Ismaïlia, where participants’ passports were confiscated and many were taken into custody.
The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), has expressed solidarity with Nikita Jain, who is also an NWMI member, urging the Indian government to ensure that her passport is returned immediately and that “she be allowed to carry out her professional duties.”
“When we were last able to communicate with her, she was stranded at Cairo Airport after Egyptian authorities dropped detainees there, in some cases without their passports,” read the statement.
Meanwhile, Nikita, who has received an emergency passport, is trying to return home on Tuesday.
The march, organized by an international coalition from over 50 countries with about 3,000–4,000 participants, aimed to reach the Rafah border crossing between June 12 and July 15.
Around 200–400 international activists traveled to Cairo, Egypt, beginning on June 12 to join the Global March to Gaza, which was planned to start on June 15 toward the Rafah border.
Egyptian authorities responded by detaining the activists at Cairo’s airport and various hotels, confiscating passports, and holding some in custody for interrogation.
, Chennai, and the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), have condemned the Egyptian authorities’ actions against Maktoob journalist Nikita Jain and urged the Indian government and the Indian Embassy in Cairo to intervene urgently, ensure the return of her passport, and allow her to carry out her professional duties as a journalist.){kind=link}