Srinagar, April 22, 2020 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, senior leader of the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M), Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, has opposed registering of FIRs against Kashmiri journalists, saying it is an unwarranted act intended to suppress media freedom in the territory.
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami in a statement issued in Srinagar said, “When a FIR is registered, a lot of caution is needed. The FIRs against the scribes must be immediately withdrawn as one of the merits of a democratic system is the freedom of expression, press and the space that is provided to disagreement by different sections of society.”
Tarigami said, journalists in occupied Kashmir are already facing a huge crisis, especially since last year from August. They are working under stressful conditions and such decisions will further hamper their efforts to highlight the ground realities in a free and fair manner, he added.
The Indian authorities have registered cases against noted Kashmiri journalists, Gowhar Geelani, Peerzada Ashiq, and female photojournalist Masarrat Zahra under serious charges. They were booked for uploading some Kashmir-related photographs and covering the viewpoint of the Kashmiri martyrs’ families.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
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Email: info@kmsnews.org
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