India, April 8 -- A group of prominent Indian and international artists, academics and activists has condemned the banning of The Voice of Hind Rajab, calling it a threat to freedom of expression and democratic values in both India and Israel. The film is about volunteers at the Palestine Red Crescent Society who are on a call with a 6-year-old girl who gets trapped in a car in war-torn Gaza.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had banned the film and justified their decision claiming the ban was to protect Indo-Israeli relations. However, in a joint statement, the signatories argued that the ban is an "unlawful attack" on free speech guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.

Their statement says that recently several ...