CPJ urges India to free jailed journalists on Human Rights Day
Detention, UAPA misuse eroding Delhi’s democratic claims, says letter to Modi
New Delhi: The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on India to mark Human Rights Day by immediately releasing all imprisoned journalists, warning that the Modi-led regime’s continued detention and harassment of media workers is severely damaging India’s global democratic standing.
According to Kashmir Media Service, CPJ issued the appeal in a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that journalists Irfan Meraj and Rupesh Kumar Singh will spend Human Rights Day behind bars—symbolic of the shrinking space for press freedom in the country. While the number of jailed journalists currently stands at two—down from seven between 2021 and 2023—CPJ said at least 15 journalists have been investigated under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) since 2014.
CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director, Beh Lih Yi, wrote that India’s ongoing use of anti-terror laws against journalists contradicts Modi’s own public claims that “democracy is in our DNA”. She stressed that the treatment of jailed journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, incarcerated for over three years, highlights the inhumane conditions faced by journalists detained under fabricated charges, including lack of medical care, denial of basic facilities and prolonged cell confinement.
The letter said that India, as a signatory to international human rights conventions and as a state that guarantees freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a) of its own constitution, is legally obligated to safeguard the rights of journalists. CPJ warned that continued repression “risks eroding India’s reputation as the world’s largest democracy and a leading voice of the Global South”.
Calling for immediate steps to free all imprisoned journalists, CPJ emphasised that reporters must be allowed to return to their families and work without fear of reprisal. Over 1,500 journalists from more than 100 countries joined CPJ’s global solidarity action this year, urging world governments—especially India—to stop the use of draconian laws and end impunity for attacks on the press.
CPJ said that India’s credibility as a responsible member of the international community depends on ending its ongoing crackdown on journalists and ensuring an environment where the media can operate safely and independently.
