Kashmiri delegation raises plight of IIOJK journalists with former IFJ president in Geneva
Geneva: A Kashmiri delegation attending the 62nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva highlighted the deteriorating press freedom situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) during a meeting with former President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Jim Boumelha.
According to Kashmir Media Service, on the sidelines of the UNHRC session, the delegation briefed Jim Boumelha on the challenges faced by journalists in IIOJK, stating that media professionals in the territory are subjected to intimidation, harassment, brutality and arbitrary detentions aimed at silencing independent voices and suppressing press freedom.
The delegation said India has systematically choked the professional space for journalists in the disputed territory through the use of draconian laws and restrictive measures that, it said, contravene internationally recognized standards on freedom of expression and press.
The delegation expressed gratitude to the International Federation of Journalists for raising the concerns of Kashmiri journalists in the past and expressed the hope that the organization would continue advocating for journalists facing restrictions and repression in IIOJK.
The Kashmiri delegation comprised Advocate Parvez Ahmad Shah, Dr Waleed Rasool, and Naila Altaf Kayani.
