NEW DELHI, 27 Jun: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) stated that a total of 194 journalists, including seven women journalists, were targeted across India by the state agencies, non-state political actors and criminals, and the armed opposition groups (AOG) during 2022.
Among the states/union territories (UT), the journalists from Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) faced the maximum target with 48; followed by Telangana (40); Odisha (14); Uttar Pradesh (13); Delhi (12); West Bengal (11); Madhya Pradesh and Manipur (6 each); Assam and Maharashtra (5 each); Bihar, Karnataka and Punjab (4 each); Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Meghalaya (3 each); Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (2); and Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttarakhand (1 each).
While 103 journalists were targeted by the state actors, 91 journalists were targeted by the non-state actors, including political activists.
Out of 103 journalists, 70 journalists were arrested/detained; FIRs were registered against 14 journalists; four journalists were summoned by police and Enforcement Directorate (ED); and 15 journalists were allegedly physically attacked, threatened and harassed by public officials/police, including stopping from flying abroad by immigration officials.
“Telangana reported the highest arrest/detention with 40; followed by Uttar Pradesh (6); Jammu & Kashmir (4); Madhya Pradesh (3); Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur and Odisha (2 each); and Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal (1 each).
First information reports (FIR) were registered against 14 journalists under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 124 A (sedition) punishment for defamation (Section 500), 295 A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups); Section 66 C, Section 67 and Section 69 of the Information Technology Act; and the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” RRAG director Suhas Chakma said.
In 2022, at least four journalists were summoned for questioning – three by police, ie, Gowhar Geelani and Yash Raj Sharma of Jammu & Kashmir, Wangkhemcha Shamjai of Manipur and Sucheta Dalal of Maharashtra, by the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi.
In 2022, at least 15 journalists were allegedly physically attacked, molested, threatened and harassed by public officials, including police across the country. Odisha reported the highest number of cases with four journalists being beaten by police.
At least three journalists, ie, Aakash Hussain, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Rana Ayyub, were stopped by the immigration officials from flying abroad.
During 2022, out of the 91 journalists attacked by the non-state political actors and criminals across the country, the maximum attacks on journalists were reported from Odisha (5) and Uttar Pradesh (5).
Seven journalists were killed by non-state political actors and criminals. One journalist, Subash Kumar Mahto, was killed for his reporting while the rest were killed for personal enmities, road rage, etc.
About 41 journalists were targeted by the armed opposition groups in Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur and the Naxal affected areas. One journalist, identified as Rohit Biswal, a reporter of the daily Dharitri, was killed in an IED blast triggered by alleged Maoists while performing his official work on 5 February.
“The situation of press freedom has not improved during the year and the journalists remained vulnerable to severe attacks from the state and non-state actors, both online and off-line,” Chakma said.
