UN special rapporteur concerned over ‘excessive use of force against journalists’ in India

On Friday, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders expressed concerns over the “apparent unnecessary and excessive use of force against journalists and human rights defenders” in India, Free Press Kashmir reported.

In a statement, the rapporteur took cognizance of specific incidents of violence against journalists and human rights activists, including that of Bihar journalist Chandrabhushan Tiwari of Hindi daily newspaper Gyan Shikha Times. Tiwari was reportedly “assaulted and intimidated” earlier this year by the Bihar police while reporting on police personnel “taking bribes”.

The statement said, “The lack of investigation or response from police following complaints about the instances is deeply concerning, particularly in the case of Mr Chandrabhushan Tiwari, who was exposing alleged police corruption.”

The statement also cited two cases from Kashmir. In July, the statement said, journalist Aakash Hussain was “allegedly grabbed by the collar, beaten in the face and the body” by the police in Anantnag. In August, the home of Kashmiriyat journalist and editor Qazi Shibli was raided by the police, the statement said, without providing a warrant. His electronic devices were also allegedly confiscated.

The statement said: “It is of utmost concern that both Mr Tiwari and Mr Hassan appear to have been beaten by police officers allegedly merely for carrying out their journalistic profession, or being identified as members of the press.”

It also expressed concern regarding Shibli’s case, saying: “We fear that these raids are a worrying illustration of a pattern of targeted harassment of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir.”

The statement comes a day after the ministry of external affairs hit out at a United Nations envoy who had expressed concern over the arrest of Khurram Parvez, a human rights activists who has been charged with terrorism. The ministry called the envoy’s statements “baseless and unfounded”.

Arindam Bagchi, the official ministry spokesperson, was quoted as saying: “It also betrays a complete lack of understanding...of the security challenges faced by India from cross-border terrorism and its impact on the most fundamental human right ‘the Right to Life’ of our citizens including in J&K.”