Our weekly roundup of press freedom news, highlighting the latest attacks on journalists, their right to publish, and our right to know. Here’s the news for the week of April 19.
State Department finds no evidence linking Tufts student to antisemitism or terrorism
Days before masked ICE agents detained Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk, the State Department determined that the Trump admin had not produced any evidence linking her to antisemitism or terrorism, reports Washington Post.
A crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices in France
Over 1,000 intellectuals, writers and activists have signed a letter against the crackdown on Palestine solidarity in France, including the targeting of union organizer Anasse Kazib for her tweets is support of Palestine, reports Mondoweiss.
As Trump attacks pro-Palestinian students, 18 Palestine Action activists remain imprisoned in the UK, and Germany plans to intensify its ongoing crackdown, in France, the collective Palestine Vaincra was dissolved, and feminist demonstrations have been forbidden because of the presence of pro-Palestinian organizations.
“In this context”, the letter reads, “the French state has taken a step forward in the repression of political dissent. On June 18, two activists from the political organization Révolution Permanente — including its spokesperson Anasse Kazib, a railroad worker, union activist, and former presidential candidate — will stand trial for ‘apology for terrorism.’ (…) While the use of ‘anti-terrorism’ laws against supporters of Palestine is becoming increasingly common, the offense of ‘apology for terrorism’ is unique to France.”