RSF slams raid on Kashmir Times office, urges India to drop false case against Anuradha Bhasin
Paris: Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, a leading global watchdog for press freedom, has strongly condemned the recent raid conducted by India’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) on the office of the renowned English daily Kashmir Times in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It demanded an immediate end to the persecution of the newspaper and the withdrawal of false charges filed against its Executive Editor, Anuradha Bhasin.
According to Kashmir Media Service, RSF, in a statement, said that despite the Kashmir Times office remaining closed for the past four years, the SIA still stormed the premises, seizing professional equipment and documents. The organization labeled the raid an outrageous assault on one of the last remaining independent voices in the occupied territory and urged Indian authorities to stop harassing media under the guise of national security.
SIA personnel, accompanied by police, carried out the early morning raid on Thursday, confiscating documents and computers, even though the office has not been operational since 2021.
The SIA also lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Anuradha Bhasin, who is currently resides abroad, accusing her and the newspaper of sharing content that allegedly threatens “India’s sovereignty and integrity.”
It is worth mentioning that Kashmir Times, founded in 1954, is regarded as a vital source of ground reporting in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In recent years, Indian authorities have repeatedly targeted the publication due to its fearless criticism of New Delhi’s repressive policies in the occupied territory.
RSF has called on Indian authorities to end its relentless targeting of Kashmir Times and withdraw the fabricated charges against the media outlet and its Executive Editor.
