The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) joins partner organisations in the South Asia Media
Solidarity Network (SAMSN) in expressing serious concern at the attacks on news
photographers reporting street protests in Srinagar,
capital of the Indian state of Jammu
and Kashmir, on November 25.
Reports from Srinagar
indicate four journalists were assaulted and one of them briefly detained by
personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), while covering protests
that broke out in Srinagar’s Old City
after Friday prayers. Umar Mehraj, a video journalist for Associated Press,
Showkat Shafi, a contributor to Al Jazeera English online, and Yawar Kabli of
Getty Images and Kashmir Dispatch were assaulted and their equipment partly
damaged. Shahid Tantray, who works with the widely circulated Hindi-language
daily Dainik Bhaskar suffered serious injury and was briefly detained.
“The IFJ notes that two
photojournalists were attacked
by security forces in virtually identical circumstances just three months
ago,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director
Jacqueline Park said.
“These recurrent incidents show that
the visual coverage of protests and demonstrations in Kashmir
often triggers serious anxieties among the security forces, leading them to deal
violently with journalists.
“Authorities in Kashmir
must act quickly and firmly against the personnel involved in the latest
assault.”
The IFJ urges authorities to develop
a protocol in consultation with journalists in Kashmir
to ensure that the coverage of events and incidents of public importance is
possible without serious threat or impediment.
For further
information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ
represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
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