Jammu and Kashmir

Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF-Reporters Without Borders) expressed its serious concern over the attempted murder of the journalist Zafar Iqbal in Srinagar. The organisation for the defence of press freedom has asked, in a letter sent today to the Chief Minister of the State of Kashmir, Dr Farooq Abdullah, for an investigation to be opened rapidly by the local police in order to identify the...

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the shooting of Zafar Iqbal, a journalist for the Srinigar, Kashmir-based English-language daily Kashmir Images. Iqbal, who was shot by three unidentified assailants this afternoon, was seriously injured and is currently in the hospital in stable condition, according to journalists in Kashmir and Indian news reports. At about 3:00 p.m., three gunmen...

In a letter addressed to Home Affairs Minister Lal Krishna Advani, RSF protested the attack on three employees and the editor of weekly "Chattan", published in Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir, north-western India), by members of the security forces. "This type of violence is unworthy of Indian government representatives," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. "It calls for an investigation and...

Yesterday's scheduled contempt of court case against journalist Vineet Narain has been postponed due to violence in Jammu and Kashmir State, the trial venue. It is not known when the next hearing will be held. Narain is the founding editor of the New Delhi­-based investigative journal Kalchakra. He faces contempt charges based on a December 16, 2000, Kalchakra article in which Narain alleged that...

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply concerned about the safety of journalist Vineet Narain, whose contempt of court trial has been abruptly moved up to August 9. It was originally scheduled for September 3. Narain is the founding editor of the New Delhi-based investigative journal Kalchakra. He faces contempt of court charges in Jammu and Kashmir State, based on a December 16...

In a 17 May 2001 letter to Indian Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani, CPJ expressed its dismay over last week's brutal attack against journalists in Kashmir by members of India's Border Security Force (BSF). The organisation is, however, encouraged by the apparently swift and thorough BSF investigation, and hopes that it will yield concrete results. On 10 May, a group of seventeen journalists were...

Seventeen journalists were attacked today by Indian security forces as they attempted to cover a funeral procession in the troubled Kashmir region. The incident occurred in Magam, a town about 17 miles (28 kilometers) north of the state capital, Srinagar. Three of the journalists were hospitalized and thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment was destroyed, according to local and...

In a letter to the director general of Border Security Forces (BSF, paramilitary forces), Gurbachan Jagat, RSF protested the attack on thirteen photographers, cameramen and journalists by BSF members in Jammu and Kashmir province. The organisation asked that an investigation be conducted to identify and take sanctions against the authors of this attack. RSF asked to be kept informed of progress in...

In a letter to the chief of police of the Indian province Jammu-e-Kashmir, Ashok Suri, RSF protested the attack on Surinder Oberoi, a journalist with Agence France-Presse (AFP) and RSF correspondent, by a police officer in Kashmir. The organisation expressed concern that no serious investigation was conducted and that no sanctions were taken against the officer responsible for this attack. RSF...

In an 11 August 2000 letter to Syed Salahuddin, Supreme Commander of the Hezb-ul Mujahedeen, CPJ condemned the 10 August bomb attack in Srinagar, which killed one journalist and seriously injured at least six others. Pradeep Bhatia, a photographer for the Indian newspaper "The Hindustan Times", was one of twelve people killed in the attack, police told reporters. Hezb-ul Mujahedeen spokesman Salim...