The International Federation

of Journalists (IFJ) is dismayed by the acquittal of the sole surviving suspect

in the murder of journalist Parag Kumar Das in the state of Assam in India in 1996.

Das, who was the executive editor of the Assamese-language daily, Asomiya

Pratidin, was shot dead in broad daylight in a busy part of Guwahati city

in the northeastern Indian state, as he was fetching his son from school.

At the time, the state government responded to widespread public outrage

of its handling of the case by handing it over to the police agency controlled

by India’s

union government: the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Four persons, all surrendered militants of the separatist insurgent

group, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) were formally indicted for

the crime in 2000. By the time the trial began in 2004, all except one of the

accused, Mridul Phukan, had died.

“We are deeply saddened that despite the lapse of so many years, justice

has not been done for the slain editor”, said IFJ

Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park.

The IFJ lends its full support to numerous journalists unions and

associations in Assam,

who have demanded that the acquittal be appealed in the Guwahati High Court.

The trial judge reportedly issued severe strictures against the

investigating agency for failing to produce any substantive evidence linking

the suspect to the crime.

“We urge the investigating authorities to remedy all procedural lapses

and gather the evidence required to bring those responsible for the heinous

murder of a distinguished Indian editor to account,” Park said.

For further

information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific

on +612 9333 0919

The IFJ represents

over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries