Activist Seema Azad, husband freed

Journalist-activist Seema Azad and her husband Vishwavijaya were released from jail on Tuesday, a day after the Allahabad High Court granted them bail. The two were sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court here in June after being charged with sedition and Maoist links.

Ms. Azad expressed happiness over the release but said the battle had only been half-won. She expressed regret at being released only after serving time in jail.

“Repeal sedition law”

Kavita Srivastava, general secretary, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, said the organisation would now campaign for the release of others who have been booked wrongly under the sedition law.

“The PUCL will fight for the repeal of the sedition law and other laws where intent is criminalised like waging war against state, the Unlawful Activities [Prevention] Act and others,” she said.

“At present, appeals of 1982 are being heard. At this rate, her appeal will be heard after 30 years,” she said.

Ms. Azad, who is the editor of the bimonthly magazine, Dastak , and the organisation secretary of the PUCL (Uttar Pradesh), and her husband were arrested in February 2010.

They were charged with being members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and possessing Maoist literature.