Full-page ad in Washington Post calls for end to press freedom violations in India, IIOJK

‘Biden must raise press freedom issues during Modi state visit’

Washington, Jun 21 (KMS): The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, joined seven other press freedom groups to sponsor a full-page ad that ran in the Washington Post, this week, calling for an end to press freedom violations in India including the plight of Kashmiri journalists.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the IPI, present in nearly 100 countries, calls for U.S. President Joe Biden to prioritize press freedom issues in India while he hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.

“The alarming deterioration of press freedom in India must be halted, and Biden must make tackling these issues at home and abroad a priority,” the IPI global network demanded.

“Modi is in the U.S. for a three-day official state visit, during which he will be hosted by the White House. Biden must use this opportunity to raise critical issues regarding press freedom in India, including the plight of Kashmiri journalists and the expanded use of ‘lawfare’ to silence critical journalists, and compel Modi to take concrete steps to improve the environment for press freedom in the country.”

In the decade since Modi came to power, crackdowns on the media have become increasingly common. Last month, IPI published an open letter to Modi, urging him to “take immediate and concrete action to protect freedom of expression and media freedom and to ensure that the Indian public can exercise their fundamental right to receive diverse, independent news and information.”

This week, IPI joined with seven other international press freedom groups as part of the Washington Post’s Press Freedom Partnership to publish a newspaper ad calling attention to the plight of six journalists currently being detained for alleged violations of Indian security laws.