RSF demands release of imprisoned journalists in J&K

Election results signal rejection of Modi's government, says press freedom organisation

Society

October 26, 2024

/ By / Paris

RSF demands release of imprisoned journalists in J&K

RSF has asked the government to urgently release journalists imprisoned in Jammu and Kashmir

Paris-based press freedom organisation, Reporters without borders (RSF) has called upon Indian government to immediately release imprisoned journalists in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the results of the recent assembly elections in J&K were a rejection of policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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As a prominent advocate for global press freedom, Reporters Sans Frontier (RSF) has asked the government to urgently release journalists imprisoned in Jammu and Kashmir. The organisation highlights that these unjust detentions undermine press freedom and the ability of media professionals to operate independently.

In a press statement, RSF has also called for an end to the severe repression and censorship that has plagued the region, urging respect for journalistic rights.

In the statement, RSF says that authorities must immediately release Abdul Aala Fazili, Irfan Mehraj and Majid Hyderi, emphasising the urgent need to uphold press freedom and end the unjust imprisonment of these journalists.

It adds that the recent legislative assembly election results reflected a rejection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, sending a clear message that the repression of Kashmiri reporters must end.

RSF says that it adds pressure on the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), which has led the local government since the October 8, to fulfill its campaign promise of restoring press freedom.

It adds that over the past five years, Modi’s BJP government has undermined journalism in the region, imposing an eighteen-month communications blackout from August 2019 to February 2021 after revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status.

It further adds that since the blackout, media outlets in Jammu and Kashmir, already affected by the India-Pakistan conflict, have faced increased targeting by Narendra Modi’s government.

RSF says that Anuradha Bhasin, a journalist from the region for 35 years, notes the ‘constant surveillance’ and police questioning of local reporters, along with the financial strain on regional dailies reliant on diminishing public subsidies. Her publication, Kashmir Times, was severely impacted and had to suspend print operations from October 2022 to November 2023 before relaunching online.

It adds that three Kashmiri media workers remain imprisoned on dubious charges aimed at silencing them. Abdul Aala Fazili, an academic and contributor to The Kashmir Walla, has been jailed since April 2022 for labelling the Indian presence in Jammu and Kashmir as ‘occupation’. Irfan Mehraj, founder of Wande Magazine, has also been incarcerated since March 2023, facing nine charges, including alleged fundraising for terror activities.

It furthers  adds that freelance reporter Majid Hyderi has been in jail since September 2023 on charges of criminal conspiracy, giving false information and defamation.

RSF says that Jammu and Kashmir has seen 13 journalist detentions in the past five years, accounting for a quarter of the 48 nationwide recorded by RSF.

The statement adds that in early July, the release of Kashmir Walla journalist Sajad Gul on bail after two years for a single tweet raised hopes for a less repressive era. This optimism grew when authorities announced the imminent reopening of the Press Club of Kashmir, closed since January 2022 after a police raid.

It adds that two months after the announcement, the Press Club of Kashmir has yet to resume activities, with no guarantees regarding the independence of its future editorial team. Meanwhile, repressive laws, including the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA) used against Majid Hyderi and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against Irfan Mehraj, remain in force.

Célia Mercier

Célia Mercier

RSF says that due to the national government’s ongoing crackdown on Kashmiri media professionals, at least 10 journalists are currently denied passports, preventing international travel. Award-winning photojournalist Masrat Zahra, targeted by the UAPA anti-terrorism law in April 2020 for ‘anti-national’ content, was left in legal limbo when her passport was revoked without notice while studying in the United States.

“Over the past five years, a quarter of the journalists imprisoned under false pretexts in India have come from Jammu and Kashmir. This reign of terror targeting Kashmiri media professionals must come to an end. RSF calls on the authorities to immediately release  Abdul Aala Fazili, Irfan Mehraj and Majid Hyderi. With the recent vote, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have clearly expressed their exasperation with the assaults on the rule of law and press freedom since the revocation of the region’s semi-autonomous status in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must respect the local authorities and immediately loosen the stranglehold on the local media,” says Célia Mercier, Head of South Asia Desk, RSF.

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