International Federation of Journalists condemns "ongoing repression" of media in Kashmir

Locked up Kashmir Press Club. Pic/Twitter

The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the censorship of the "independent media outlet" ‘The Kashmir Walla' and "ongoing repression" of media in Kashmir.

In a statement the federation said that "yet again, there is an overstepping of power to exert censorship on critical voices in Jammu and Kashmir".

The IFJ demanded the Indian government immediately revoke the orders to block and censor The Kashmir Walla and respect press freedom which is clearly enshrined in its national constitution.

On Sunday ‘The Kashmir Walla' reported that its website and social media accounts are now unreachable in India.

According to the online news website, which is located in Srinagar, access to its website and social media platforms was restricted inside India from August 19. In a statement, the website's employees said: "On Saturday, August 19, we woke up to another deadly blow of finding access to our website and social media accounts blocked,"

The website's service provider verified the occurrence of the blocking, attributing it to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India. The action was taken allegedly in accordance with the IT Act 2000, which addresses matters pertaining to cybercrime and internet commerce.

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Kashmir Walla staff reported that access to the website's account on X, the social networking platform formerly referred to as Twitter, had been restricted "in response to a legal demand." The latest publication on X was made on the morning of Saturday, August 19. Personnel also reported the outlet had received an eviction notice and had initiated the necessary procedures to vacate the office premises in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir's largest city.

Fahad Shah, the founder editor of The Kashmir Walla, is in jail since February 2022 on allegations of "seditious" and "anti-India" articles as well as charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and the Public Safety Act (PSA).

DIGIPUB News India Foundation, a digital platform that represents online media in India, said the move reflects a "pattern of arbitrary misuse of the law." Since India revoked Kashmir's semi-autonomous status in 2019, DIGIPUB said the past four years "had a chilling effect on journalists, journalism, and the fundamental right to free speech".

After Shah's arrest, the paper reduced its workforce from 16 to six. According to The Kashmir Walla statement, those remaining work in "an already inhospitable climate for journalism in the region.