Ahead of International Human Rights Day on December 10, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to draw his attention to the matter of journalists imprisoned in the country.

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The CPJ said the “continued detention and harassment of journalists risks eroding India’s reputation as the world’s largest democracy and a leading voice of the Global South”. “To mark International Human Rights Day, we ask that your government take steps to allow all journalists imprisoned in India to return to their families and continue their work without fear of reprisal,” it said.

“India currently holds two journalists in prison on a combination of security, anti-terror, and State-level criminal charges, CPJ data shows. One of those is Rupesh Kumar Singh, an independent journalist from the State of Jharkhand, who has been imprisoned for more than three years, most recently at Patna’s Adarsh Central Jail,” said the letter.

It said according to Mr. Singh’s family, “he has faced poor-quality and insufficient food; inadequate medical attention despite high cholesterol and other health concerns; long hours of confinement in his cell with no access to open spaces; and restricted access to the canteen and other basic facilities”.

“While we recognise the number of imprisoned journalists in India has decreased from a historic high of seven between 2021 and 2023, at least 15 journalists have been investigated since 2014 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an anti-terror law that allows for detention without trial or charge for up to 180 days,” the CPJ said.

Noting that India is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the non-profit press freedom organisation said it was incumbent upon the government to “uphold its international and domestic human rights obligations”.

“India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a), and successive governments have recognised the critical role that an independent press plays in strengthening democratic institutions. Mr. Prime Minister, you have said that ‘democracy is in our DNA’ and ‘the entire country runs on’ basic democratic principles. We urge your government to uphold these values, including the right of journalists to report safely,” it said.