‘India should stop harassing journalists’: Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released its report to address the unlawful arrest of journalists in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IoK). According to the report, so far at least 35 journalists in IoK have faced police interrogation, raids, threats, physical assault, or fabricated criminal cases for their reporting.

The recent arrest of Fahad Shah, an editor-in-chief of a leading Kashmir-based news site The Kashmir Walla, has led to condemnation from several journalism organisations including United States (US)-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

South Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, “Instead of ensuring justice for security force violations in Kashmir, the [Indian] government is more interested in silencing those who bring these abuses to light.”

Ganguly also demanded Indian authorities in Kashmir to release Shah and all journalists, activists, and critics jailed on “politically motivated charges” and stop harassing them with draconian laws.

Furthermore, HRW has stated a number of journalist names who are behind bars on baseless grounds. Last month, the police arrested another journalist at the Kashmir Walla.

In September, the police raided the homes of four Kashmiri journalists and confiscated their phones and laptops. Not only this, the Indian authorities give threats to journalists with jail if their work criticises them and pressured them to self-censor, says the HRW report.

It states that India has placed over 40 people, including 22 journalists, on lists to stop them from travelling abroad.