By Arlene Getz/CPJ Editorial Director The persistent lack of justice for murdered reporters is a major threat to press freedom. Ten years after the United Nations declared an international day to end impunity for crimes against journalists – and more than 30 years after CPJ began documenting these killings – almost 80% of their killings…
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday joined 11 rights organizations in calling on the Indian government to immediately release all journalists arrested in politically motivated cases and to cease targeting critics under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, pending its amendment in line with international human rights standards. Read the full statement:
New Delhi, October 3, 2023— The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Indian authorities to immediately release NewsClick founder and editor Prabir Purkayastha and stop trying to intimidate journalists through tactics such as Tuesday’s police raids on the Delhi office of Indian news website NewsClick and the homes of at least 12 staff and journalists…
New Delhi, September 15, 2023—Authorities in the east Indian state of West Bengal should drop their investigation into journalist Debmalya Bagchi and stop harassing him simply for doing his job, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On September 6, police arrested Bagchi, a correspondent for the privately owned newspaper Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP), after…
Three Indian journalists, who spoke to CPJ, said that X, formerly Twitter, blocked their posts about violence against Muslims in response to opaque legal demands from the government in August. Since August 8, the X account of independent journalist Ahmed Khabeer has been blocked in India, he told CPJ by phone. Khabeer published the email…
New Delhi, September 7, 2023—Authorities in the Indian capital of Delhi must swiftly and impartially investigate the arson attack on the home of journalists Khushboo and Nadeem Akhtar, as well as the threats of death and rape, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. In the early hours of…
On August 6, 2023, an anonymous user posted on X, previously known as Twitter, accusing Kashmiri journalist Iftikhar Gilani of collaborating with Indian authorities in monitoring the activities of Kashmiris in Turkey, including those supporting the “pro-[K]ashmir struggle.” The post accused Gilani of committing “crimes and traitorous acts,” according to Gilani and CPJ’s review of…
New York, August 25, 2023—Indian lawmakers must thoroughly review three bills that threaten the independence of the press, and the government should withdraw and significantly amend its new data protection law, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “We are gravely concerned by the Indian government’s apparent attempts to pass a series of bills undermining…
New Delhi, August 23, 2023—Authorities in India must immediately unblock the social media accounts of the independent news website Gaon Savera, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, August 21, Gaon Savera’s Facebook page became inaccessible in India, and its account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was also blocked the following day,…
New Delhi, August 21, 2023—Authorities in India must immediately unblock the website and social media accounts of the independent Kashmiri news outlet The Kashmir Walla, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Saturday, August 19, The Kashmir Walla became inaccessible in India following an order by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to…