India: Dead Cat Left on Doorstep of Swati Chaturvedi Following Smear Campaign by MP

Accusations of China funding a news outlet lead to death, rape threats, and doxxing of a renowned journalist 

Location: India
Date: August 7, 2023

The safety of award-winning journalist Swati Chaturvedi is at risk after online death and rape threats escalate to a dead cat left on her doorstep. The Coalition For Women In Journalism fears the journalist is at imminent risk of violence and extrajudicial killing after accusations made by a politician triggered an onslaught of hate against Chaturvedi. We strongly urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to take threats against the journalist seriously and ensure she and her family are kept safe.

Harassment and threats against Swati Chaturvedi follow Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey accusing news outlet NewsClick of receiving financial support from China to tarnish India's reputation. During the widely watched television broadcast of the parliamentary speech, Dubey named Chaturvedi one of the people involved in the alleged scheme.

After the speech, Chaturvedi’s contact details were shared on public WhatsApp groups. The journalist and her parents received hundreds of calls and messages containing rape and death threats. The threats escalated beyond the virtual realm, as evidenced by a dead cat left on her doorstep.

This is not the first time Chaturvedi has experienced harassment, defamation, and threats that severely limit her freedom of expression and jeopardize her safety. Chaturvedi has consistently faced online threats and hate campaigns since the publication of her bestselling book "I Am a Troll - Inside the BJP’s secret digital army" in 2016. The book exposed her extensive investigation into how the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, orchestrated social media campaigns to promote their ideological agenda.

Women journalists in India have faced horrific attacks from Hindu nationalists and ruling party supporters. In 2017, journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead in the southern state of Karnataka. The prominent reporter was known for her secularist criticism of right-wing and Hindu nationalists, including members of the BJP. 

CFWIJ has also documented the continued harassment faced by Rana Ayyub, including being targeted by absurd fiscal and legal investigations instigated by Indian authorities and death threats.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this assault on Swati Chaturvedi and demands that BJP politicians stop their inflammatory rhetoric aimed at critical journalists. Bombastic accusations, with little merit, are adding fuel to the fire and encouraging nationalistic entities and supporters of the ruling party to attack Chaturvedi.

The killing of Gauri Lankesh and the continued incidents of online smear campaigns and threats targeting women journalists highlight the deadly dangers journalists in India face. Aggressive online attacks that have manifested into offline intimidation against Swati Chaturvedi must be treated with the utmost seriousness. The journalist and her family must be provided adequate protection immediately.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism reiterates the call of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which requested urgent intervention from the UN Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression, on extrajudicial executions, and on violence against women, to safeguard Chaturvedi’s well-being and security. We further call on Indian authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for the threats and employ all means possible to protect the journalist.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.