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A year and a half after UAPA accused Gulfisha Fatima's arrest, several press conferences were organised in solidarity with her and other political prisoners who have been arrested under the charges of 'conspiring the Delhi riots' by Delhi Police.
These meets were organised across the country, in Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, UP's Sitapur, Bihar's Araria, Mumbai, Patna, Punjab and Bengaluru. Amongst those who spoke were Gulfisha Fatima's parents.
She has been granted bail in all FIRs except the FIR 59, her lawyers confirmed. The bail hearing for the case has been ongoing, the last of which was on 19 June. The case is being heard at the Karkardooma court.
Calling her arrest arbitrary, the statement issued in solidarity with her read:
A protest organised at Bengaluru's Azim Premji University for the unconditional and immediate release of Fatima.
A public meet of democratic groups organised at Hyderabad demanding the release of the student activist.
a protest orgainsed in Bengaluru to 'free Gulfisha Fatima'.
The organisations behind campaigning for Fatima's release are AIPWA, SAHELI, NFIW, Satark Nagrik Sangathan, AIDWA, Bebaak Collective, Parcham Collective (Bombay), PUCL (Rajasthan), Forum Against Oppression of Women, Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression, Habitat And Livelihood Welfare Association, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (Mumbai), JJSS (Araria, Bihar), Justice Coalitions of Religious(West India), Women and Transgender Organisations (WT-JAC), National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) and Narmada Bachao Andolan.
The organization said Fatima’s case is a “reflection of the painful reality of our country today that these are the moments that have come to mark the lives of young women who dared to dream of a free and just world.”
The joint statement stated that her arrest was not an exception, but "a part of a frightening pattern of repression of all democratic and dissenting voices by the current government.”
Speaking fiercly in favour of her, the statement read:
The statement apprised us of how Fatima was indeed helping people in jail to learn how to readn and write, to get their applications and petitions written, to have their charge sheets read, amongst other things.
Other than her father, journalist Arfa Khannum, CPIML Politburo member Kavita Krishnan and poet and activist Nabiya Khan spoke at the event in Delhi.
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