French journalist threatened with expulsion leaves the country

Vanessa Dougnac, French journalist based in India since 2001, announced on Friday, February 16, her departure from the country after being threatened with expulsion for reporting that was judged “malicious and critical” by the authorities. According to observers, press freedom in the world’s largest democracy is increasingly under threat, with journalists covering sensitive subjects often criticized by the government.

Vanessa Dougnac collaborates with several French-speaking publications, including the weekly Point. The Interior Ministry had sent him a notice last month saying his work was “opposite” national interests and that he had provisionally decided to cancel his permanent residence permit.

“I cannot continue living in India”

“I didn’t choose to leave.”, commented Vanessa Dougnac. But “I am unable to work and have been unfairly accused of harming the interests of the state. It has become clear that I cannot continue to live in India”, explained the person in question in a press release. Vanessa Dougnac, who has an Indian spouse, has reported on several hot topics, including the Maoist Naxalite insurgency in certain rural regions of India.

The Indian Interior Ministry accuses him of journalistic activities “malicious and critical” having created a “biased perception of India”. The French journalist contested “all allegations and imputations” made against him. “India is my home, a country I love and respect deeply, and I have never engaged in any act detrimental to Indian interests.”she declared in response to the notification.