The Editors Guild of India on Monday asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath to free jailed journalists, withdraw cases that were being reviewed, and also ensure the safety of all mediapersons working in the state.

In a letter to the chief minister, the association said several incidents that took place in the state recently raised concerns about the “space for free, fearless and independent journalism”.

“While you were right to promptly uphold the freedom of the press when an editor of a TV [television] channel was arrested in Mumbai, there are far more compelling cases of intimidation, harassment by authorities of working journalists in UP, who were prevented from doing their job,” the letter, signed by Seema Mustafa, the president of the guild, its General Secretary Sanjay Kapoor and Treasurer Anant Nath, said. “Many of them have been unjustifiably arrested on spurious charges.”

Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah have voiced their support for Goswami and condemned the Maharashtra government for his arrest. On Sunday, the party’s leaders Tajinder Bagga and Kapil Mishra were detained for staging a demonstration, seeking the journalist’s release.

The Guild’s letter further listed a few cases, including that of Scroll.in’s Supriya Sharma and Delhi-based journalist Siddique Kappan.

The Guild pointed out that safeguarding all constitutional rights were important, especially when it came to persevering a space for free media. It further said the association can send a delegation of national editors to Lucknow to meet the chief minister to find ways for creating a protective environment for the media to work without fear or favour.